


Stoneheart

by demonsushi01



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura & Lance (Voltron) are Cousins, Alternate Universe - Human, Anachronistic, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Shiro (Voltron), Cursed Keith (Voltron), Fae & Fairies, Gargoyle AU, Gay Keith (Voltron), Haven't seen season 8, I AM SORRY, King Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Magic, Mentions of Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Second Person, Paranormal, Prince Lance (Voltron), Shallura is a side pair, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Witch Curses, also, and i aint about that life, background punk who will drive you just as up the wall as klance i wont lie, background shallura tbh i am so sorry if you came here for it when its klance focused, background thulaz since these two fools are married, but ive heard what happened, but like, but only keith is a gargoyle, cursing, everyone is human, fair warning, klance is endgame tho, lance is gonna ship teased to all hell, the verbal kind, will i add more tags? probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2019-10-12 12:26:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 95,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17467529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demonsushi01/pseuds/demonsushi01
Summary: Prince Lance accompanies his cousin Princess Allura to finally meet her husband-to-be, King Shiro, in person. For the next few months they will be staying at Stoneheart Castle which King Shiro rules over. However, it will not be just a simple meet-and-greet like Lance is expecting. In fact, it will be quite a life-changing adventure that he never signed up for nor wanted. Especially when it comes to a couple of things that go bump in the night.





	1. Boogeyman

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all back at it again with slow hell burn of a fanfic! Hope y'all enjoy it!  
> Still haven't seen season 8 and I kinda don't intend to, but I know the gist of what happens, so let's all pretend it doesn't exist for this yeah?
> 
> Any way, have some chapter warnings!  
> \- Nightmare sequence  
> \- Some slight spookaloo  
> \- Slight Paranoia

        You are running around the gardens, ducking around tall hedges. Something glimmers just out of your reach in front of you. It’s quick too. And you have been chasing it for the better part of an hour. Every time you think you got it, your small hands reaching out to catch it, it darts away suddenly. You have to stop for a moment to catch your breath.

        In that second, the small glimmering creature floats closer to you. It’s just as curious of you as you are of it. You hold out a hand and it stands on your palm. Your eyes widen as you look closer at it.

 “Hello.” You say softly to the faery in your hand. It curtsies in response. You chuckle.

 “What have you got there, Lance?” Your mother asks you, just as out of breath as you had been. You turn around and show her.

 “It’s a faery!” You smile. Your mother freezes and frowns.

 “A what?”

 “A faery!”

 “Don’t be silly, Lance.” She looks down at you, almost upset.

 “But it’s the truth, it really is a faery.” You stomp a foot.

 “Oh Lance,” She frowns as guardsmen come up to her side. “There is no such thing as faeries.”

 “But it’s right here.” You raise your hands up to her. Townsfolk are starting to come up behind the guardsmen. They slowly circle you and your mother. You look around at the faces, all of them twisted in disgust and fear.

 “Amá?” You look back over at her, but she is gone, swallowed up by the mob that’s closing in on you. You hold the faery close to your chest, as the people point their weapons at you.

 “Amá!” You call out louder. “Please! I’m sorry!” You can’t breathe, claustrophobia getting the better of you.

        Everything jolts, and you smack your head against the window you’d been leaning against. You groan and rub your head. Across from you, your cousin Allura, chuckles.

 “Did you get enough beauty sleep?” She asks.

 “More than you did, I’m sure of it.” You sit up straighter.

 “Can you blame me?” She dusts off her skirt and folds her hands on her lap.

 “Not really, but if your fiancé decides that _I’m_ the prettier cousin and marries me instead, you can’t complain.” You tease her. She was up all night nervously pacing around, that is something you know for sure.

 “Of course, I can’t. At least I’d know his heart was never mine to hold.” She nudges you gently.

 “You really think you’ll fall in love with him?” You ask Allura, leaning forward on your arms.

 “I’d hope so. We are to be married after all, and it’d be nice if we did care about one another.” She plays with a lock of her hair before tossing it back over her shoulder.

 “I’m sure King Alfor wouldn’t set you up with a total jerkwad,” You pat her leg. “But just in case he did, I’m here.”

 “And you’ll immediately whisk me back to the Castle of Lions?” She gives you a teasing smile.

 “Of course, what’s family for?” You smile back.

        The carriage the two of you are riding in starts to slow down. You glance out the window you had taken a nap against and see Stoneheart Castle looming close by. There is a slight pause in which the doors open to allow you inside. You look back over at Allura who closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. The carriage finally pulls to a stop, lining up with the main entrance for the castle.

        You give Allura a reassuring squeeze to her knee before opening the door and stepping out. A man, who you do not know, approaches you. You give him a polite nod as you offer Allura your hand. She takes it to keep herself steady as she steps out of the carriage as well. She whispers a soft thank you and smiles at the welcoming party.

        Coran, Allura’s advisor, quickly jogs over from the main entrance as well. He comes and shakes your hand before Allura pulls him into a small hug.

 “It’s good to see you two!” Coran says cheerfully.

 “It’s good to see you as well.” You smile. You quite like Coran, he’s a quirky but kind man.

 “How was your trip?” Allura asks him.

 “Oh, it went well. I can safely assure you the Stoneheart castle is in tip-top shape to receive not only you but your cousin as well. Romelle also made sure of it.” He crosses his arms behind his back. Romelle is Allura’s dear, sweet, lady-in-waiting. She’s bubbly and excitable but she gets along well with Allura.

 “And how was _your_ trip Princess Allura, Prince Lance?” The strange man asks you.

 “It was a bit bumpy at the end, but I slept like a baby.” You stretch your arms over your head and hum softly when your spine pops.

 “I’m glad to hear that. I am Ulaz, advisor to King Shirogane.” Ulaz bows to you two.

 “It is nice to meet you, Ulaz.” Allura smiles.

 “Where is the King anyway?” You ask.

 “Currently he’s in a meeting, he shouldn’t be much longer now,” Ulaz says, leading the way towards the castle’s doors. Various servants grab your items out of the carriage and haul them inside. You find your eyes lingering along the rooftops of the castle. You could have sworn you saw something.

 “Lance?” Allura calls out, pulling you back down to earth. She gives you a knowing look and you quickly catch up with them.

 “Did you see something interesting?” She asks as you walk inside with her.

 “No.” You say firmly. She pouts, and you turn your attention to the paintings that line the walls. They’re finely detailed, hung in fancy frames in neat rows that mirror each other on either side. You may not recognize the people in them, but you do recognize the feeling of pride they all exude. These were important people, people of power.

        All their eyes follow you as you walk down the long hallway. It sends a small shiver down your spine and has you glancing twice at each one. You give them all polite nods to appease your nerves. You pause for a moment in front of one of the paintings. It’s the only one not fully demanding your attention. How ironic.

        It’s smaller than the others, a bit singed in one corner and the frame a bit dated. Instead of a single person completely dominating the whole picture, it’s a small family. There's a king, one hand resting on the back of the chair where the queen sits, the other on the shoulder of a young man. You find your hand reaching out to touch the frame.

 “Lance, my boy, this way!” Coran calls out. You turn around and see him waiting a bit down the hallway, the others having gone on without you.

 “Coming!” You spare one last glance back at the painting before catching up, _again_. Coran chuckles.

 “Draws you in, doesn’t it?” He says as he walks alongside you.

 “Huh?” You look over at him.

 “That painting.”

 “Oh. Yeah, I guess it does.”

 “Here we are.” Coran says pulling one of the large doors open for you to step through. On the other side is the throne room. Allura and Romelle are chatting to one another. Ulaz seems to have disappeared for the time being. Coran walks over to the ladies as you look around at the room.

        You can see that the sun is starting to set behind the stained-glass windows. You can’t help but wonder if the night sky is as clear as it is at the Castle of Lions. You walk over to where the group patiently waits for King Shirogane.

 “--very charming! You’re quite lucky! Oh, and he’s so sweet.” Romelle sighs, clasping her hands together.

 “Let me guess, the King?” You interrupt.

 “Yes, actually. Oh, you’ll love him. King Shiro is nothing short of a gentleman.” Romelle rests a reassuring hand on Allura’s shoulder.

 “I can’t believe you met my fiancé before I did.” Allura whines softly.

 “Is there anything we should know about him? Like, does he have weird ears?” You ask.

 “You _still_ haven’t gotten over that?” Allura looks over at you.

 “You totally insulted me!” You press a hand to your chest.

 “We were six!”

 “My point remains.” You laugh.

 “Well actually…” Romelle starts. You both give her your full attention. She goes to say something when a side chamber door opens. Ulaz steps through it first.

 “May I introduce you all to King Shirogane.” He bows and gestures to the open door. A man, the King you’d guess, steps through. His dark cloak billows out slightly as he strides forward. He smiles and it nearly outshines the sun. You glance over at Allura, she certainly _is_ lucky.

 “I’m glad to finally meet you.” He says, stopping a bit in front of you and Allura.

 “I can say the feeling is quite mutual.” Allura says. You bow to him when he turns his attention to you.

 “King Shirogane, thank you for allowing me to join my cousin.”

 “Please, just ‘Shiro’ is fine Prince Lance.” Shiro chuckles, waving his left hand.

 “Then just ‘Lance’ is fine too.” You straighten yourself up, bringing your arms behind your back.

 “Of course,” He offers his left hand to Allura. “How was your trip?”

 “It was lovely, thank you.” She steps a bit closer and takes his hand.

 “I know the road gets a bit rougher in a few spots so it’s good to know it was peaceful.” He kisses her knuckles and you watch her ears start to turn pink. You look over at Romelle and she shakes her head and smiles.

 “Are you hungry? The chef has been preparing for dinner for a bit now. He’s quite excited.”

 “I do suppose I am a bit hungry, but I’d love a quick tour of the castle first. I wouldn’t want to get lost finding my way to my room.” Allura shyly glances at the floor. You force your groan down. You’re happy for her, you really are, but you are _starving_. You could eat a whole horse right about now.

 “A quick tour? I can do that for sure.” Shiro says as he takes a slight step back. Allura reaches out, going to tuck her hand in the bend of his arm like she does so often with you. However, her hand doesn’t quite connect with his arm through the cloak, as if nothing's there.

 “Oh.” She says softly, briefly surprised.

 “Sorry,” Shiro offers her his left arm instead. “Let’s try that again?” He gives her a small smile. She nods and takes his arm, stepping closer to him once more.

 “I didn’t know.” She says softly. You almost didn’t catch it yourself either, so you don’t blame her.

 “It’s alright, most don’t.” He reassures her.

        Shiro starts to lead you through the halls. He points out various doorways and explains where things are. He shows Allura where she will be staying and how Romelle happens to be staying in the room with her. Shiro also guides you down another hallway and shows you to where _you_ will be staying as well.

        You try to memorize this section of the hallway as Shiro starts to show you back to the dining hall. You freeze when you notice another doorway next to yours that Shiro hadn’t quite pointed out.

 “Hey, um, Shiro?” You ask. He stops and turns to face you.

 “Yes?”

 “What about that room? Is it like the ugly step-sister of rooms, because you totally just ignored her.” You jerk your thumb over to the door.

 “That’s,” He pauses, thinking over his words. “That’s the Beast’s Room.”

 “Ah. Yes, of course,” You tap the side of your head. “How could I have been so foolish. The Beast’s room. The room for the Beast. The chamber made specifically for the Beast.” You say sarcastically. Allura gives you a warning look.

 “You don’t have to believe in it, but it does protect the castle.” Shiro chuckles softly.

 “Oh... _oh_ you’re serious.” You say.

 “Quite.”

 “I didn’t mean to mock --” You’re cut off by the growling in your belly.

 “No no, it’s fine, honest. Let’s finish up the tour? I do believe that’s your stomach growling and not the Beast.” He teases.

 “Actually, that’s probably Allura’s.” You smirk as you step closer to the group. It earns you an elbow to the side from Romelle. You whine and rub your side. She has some sharp elbows, that’s for sure. She should consider getting them peace-tied. Shiro, who clearly values his life and sides, says nothing on the matter and escorts you all down to the dining hall.

        Night has fallen outside the castle, you can see it outside the windows. It’s a clear night out tonight as well. You make a mental note to try and look at the stars after dinner as soon as you can. As you walk the hallways with the group, you can’t help but feel like you’re being watched. You find yourself glancing over your shoulder a few times too many for it to be a coincidence.

        You don’t get to dwell on it too long though, as Shiro conducts you through the doors to the dining hall. The table is already set, food prepared and waiting. Shiro pulls out the chair to his left of the table for Allura. She thanks him as he pushes it back in when she sits down. Romelle sits with her and Shiro takes the head of the table. You sit to his right and Coran hovers next to you.

 “You know you can sit and join us, Coran.” Shiro gives him an amused look.

 “I am aware.” He says but makes no move to sit. Ulaz melts out of the shadows and hovers over by Shiro’s side as well.

 “Same with you.” Shiro looks over his shoulder at his advisor.

 “Kind of you, but I will be fine.” Ulaz says. Shiro simply shrugs and leans back to give the servants room to work. They are quick to place the finishing touches to your plates, before disappearing once more. This gives you all kinds of heebie jeebies. People don’t vanish into thin air. _Human_ people just don’t do that.

        And now you’re on that train of thought again. You can still feel the eyes burning into your back and you glance quickly over your shoulder once more. You squint out the window, and you could almost make out a shape against the dark sky.

 “Is something bothering you?” Shiro asks you. You jump and turn back around to face them.

 “Uh… No. No, I’m good.” You lie as the eyes don’t stop burning holes into your shoulders.

 “You seem tense. Are you sure you’re alright?” Allura asks you.

 “Totally sure. Like one hundred percent sure.” You point your fork at her. She looks unconvinced. You don’t even convince yourself either, so you can’t blame her. Shiro seems to be buying it though, and as the host it is important to him that you feel comfortable.

 “On an unrelated note, what’s the story with the beast?” You ask. If Allura sees right through you, she doesn’t make a comment on it. In fact, you pointedly look at the food you’re stabbing with your fork when you mention it.

 “Well, I can’t tell you too much about it.” Shiro says.

 “You don’t know much about the beast that has its own _room_ in _your_ castle?” You look at him with disbelief.

 “It’s not that, no,” He shakes his head. “There are just some details I don’t have, things not even my parents knew.”

 “Is the beast really that old?” Allura asks.

 “Older. Much, _much_ , older.” Shiro carefully sets his fork down to take a drink from his goblet.

 “So… what do you know about it?” You tilt your head.

 “It is only awake at night and it is frightening to behold. It protects the castle and generally keeps to itself. In fact, I have only ever seen it once.”

 “And it’s friendly?” Allura leans forward slightly against the table.

 “I like to think it is.” Shiro smiles at her.

 “You _think_ it is?” The eyes on your back suddenly feel way more dangerous.

 “Yes. It’s never once hurt anyone here. Especially if we take good care of the gargoyles.” Shiro looks over to you.

 “The gargoyles? The only thing keeping the beast from snapping are the  _gargoyles_?”

 “It seems to be rather fond of them.” Shiro shrugs. Another comment is on the tip of your tongue when a shudder runs down your spine. You are quick to glance out the window behind you again, only to realize that whatever had been watching you is now gone.

 “Scared of a boogeyman, Prince Lance?” Romelle teases. You close your eyes and take a quick breath before turning back to her.

 “Boogeymen don’t scare me because they aren’t _real_.” You focus on the meal in front of you.

 “Lance…” Allura starts. You give her a look over your goblet as you take a hearty swig of it. Whatever it is, it’s certainly smoother than Nunvil and doesn’t burn your throat the same way.

 “It’s not real.” You tell her as you finish up the last of your food. Allura frowns but lets it go for now. You have no doubt that she’ll corner you later and try to get you to talk about it.

        Shiro clears the sudden tension in the room by telling a much more light-hearted tale of some of the townsfolk he lets into the castle. Apparently, he welcomes some of the most brilliant young minds into his own study chambers. He helps them grow and learn from what they wouldn’t have had access to before. Allura gives him a warm, gooey look the whole time he talks.

        Servants appear once more to quickly take your empty plates and goblets away. You give the window behind you one more look before following Shiro’s lead and retiring for the night. He’s telling both you and Allura where you can find him if you need him. Romelle and Coran wait a bit further down the hallway for you two.

 “And Lance?” Shiro turns to you more fully.

 “Yeah?” You straighten up.

 “Do _not_ go into the Beast’s room.” He warns, as if he knew the thought had crossed your mind for a second or two.

 “Well, it’s not like I had planned on it.” You admit, but now you are extremely curious. Shiro has no idea what he’s done.

 “I’m serious. Don’t go into that room.” It nearly feels like when your father would tell you to stay out of his study.

 “I won’t,” You raise one hand as you bring the other behind your back. “Scouts honor, Shiro. I won’t go into the Beast’s room.” Your fingers are crossed behind you before you even finish your sentence. Shiro smiles and gives your shoulder a solid pat. It’s much stronger than you had been expecting and you stumble slightly from it. What the hell does this guy do, lift goats with one hand?

 “Good night then, Lance.” He chuckles as you regain your balance.  

 “Good night King Shirogane.” You say. He shakes his head and turns to Allura. He takes her hand and kisses her knuckles again.

 “Until morning’s light, Princess.” Shiro whispers. She covers her smile behind her free hand.

 “Sleep well, King Shiro.” Allura says. He slowly lets go of her hand as you link your arm with hers. You pull her away because you get the distinct feeling they would stand there making goo-goo eyes at each other all night if they could. You can hear the King turn and head down the hall in the opposite direction of you two.

        Romelle and Coran accompany you towards your rooms. Coran bids you all good night when you reach his suite. You wish for him to get some decent sleep. He works quite a lot for you two after all. Romelle and Allura exchange some sort of silent conversation that you never did learn the not-language of. Whatever was not-said, there seems to have been an agreement reached between the two of them.

 “Why do I have a bad feeling that you’re plotting something?” You ask Allura softly when Romelle curtsies for you both before slipping into their room.

 “Me? Plot? Have you mistaken me for a mirror?” Allura pouts up at you.

 “Nah, I look _way_ better.” You tease. She pinches your inner arm, causing you to yelp loudly.

 “Serves you right.” Allura says, pulling her arm from yours and crossing them over her chest.

 “Jeez.” You rub at your arm. She shakes her head and then looks you over. Oh no. Dread creeps up in your chest. You know what she’s going to ask about before she opens her mouth.

 “We’re not talking about it, Allura.”

 “Lance, I know you can sense something in the castle.”

 “No, I can’t.” You deny immediately.

 “You know that I, of all people, would not judge you. You have a gift Lance.” Allura reaches out for you. You take a step back.

 “I don’t have a gift, because I can’t _return_ it. It’s a curse.” You cross your arms tightly in front of you.

 “It’s _not_ a curse.” She says.

 “You only say that because you can’t see them.” You whisper harshly.

 “So, you _admit_ that you can see them.” She smiles. And, hell, she’s got you there.

 “Drop it, Allura.” You press your fingers into your sides as you pull your shoulders in close.

 “Lance…”

 “ _Please_.” You beg softly. You absolutely do not want to talk about this. Not in the slightest. Allura takes pity on you and sighs.

 “Alright. But you know where I stand.” She says. You give her a stiff nod.

 “Good night, Allura.” You tell her.

 “Don’t stay up too late.” She says as you walk down the hallway towards your suite.

        You ignore the feeling of being watched again. It’s simply your mind playing tricks on you. You didn’t sleep well, you’re stressed, you’re tired, and this place is new and unfamiliar. Of course you feel like _everything_ is watching you. You step into your room and heave a sigh of relief.

        You are quick to pull on your night clothes and take a step out to the balcony of your suite. You lean against the rail and look at the night sky. The stars are bright and beautiful as always, but you aren’t sure where your telescope is to really appreciate them. Otherwise you’d be down in the gardens right now. It’s also a bit nippy out; fall is starting to settle down and you aren’t quite dressed for the weather. Still, you want to reach out and be drowned in the vastness of space, shrouded in the blanket of stars.

        You close your eyes and just breathe. It’s silent out, save for a few insects down in the gardens below. If you listen very closely you can hear the clock tower in the town chime out the hour. You smile as you open your eyes. You look over at the gargoyle statue that’s perched on the railing next to you.

 “As long as I’m nice to you, right?” You mumble softly to it. You step back into your room and grab a light blanket off your bed. When you come back, you drape it around the statue’s shoulders and pat it gently.

 “That should help keep you warm.” You say. You swear you hear a chuckle come from behind you. You whip around but don’t find anything.

 “Hello?” You call out. No one responds. You shake your head and take another deep breath again. Distantly you are aware of something hiding just out of sight, but you choose to ignore it.

 “It’s not real. The boogeyman isn’t real.” You murmur to yourself as you step back in and close the balcony door. You pull the curtains shut for good measure. Not because the boogeyman is outside, but because the moon is bright and it will keep you awake. Obviously. You run your hands over your face and groan.

 “We’re one big mess, aren’t we?” You mumble to yourself as you walk over to the vanity. You make quick work of washing your face and neck. You lean forward and inspect your face. Nothing seems wrong or off about it, no marks where there shouldn’t be. You’re not studying your face in case something bothers you at night and leaves behind a mark or two.

        Ugh, why did Shiro make you sleep in the room next to the beast? That’s so unfair and rude of him. Plus, you’re not even supposed to go in there! How lame is that? You drum your fingers on your vanity and shake your head. As curious as you are, you think you’ll save that adventure for tomorrow at the very least.

        Besides, you should really be in bed. You crawl under the covers and blow out the bedside candle you don’t quite recall having lit. You put your back to it, specifically not thinking about it. However it has you facing the balcony door, and when you see a strange shadow move behind the curtains, you groan. You do what you’d often do as a child. You pull the blankets up over your head and pray for sleep to reach you quickly.


	2. A Child's Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings:  
> -None

        When you wake up in the morning it’s due to being too warm under the covers. You throw them off your body and groan at the light in the room. Slowly, you sit up and scrub the sleep from your face. You drag your hands down and stare at the unfamiliar room. Panic briefly seizes in your chest until you can recall yesterday’s events.

        Gods it’s too _early_ for this. You scratch idly at your jaw as you get up and walk over to the vanity. You plop down in front of the mirror and stare at your reflection. Everything seems to be in order, or at least everything that isn’t your hair that is.

 “Did we get into some wild fight last night?” You mumble to the mirror as you run your hands through your hair in an attempt to fix it. After enough fussing, you’ve gotten it to lay mostly flat. Which will have to do for now until you actually unpack your things and find your brush. _Or maybe you can borrow one from Allura_.

        You should probably apologize to her for your behavior last night. You didn’t mean to get so defensive. But after what happened to your sister, you can’t help but feel uncertain about how others will react to it. While Allura and her father see it as a gift, Shiro and those under him may not. Even so, you didn’t have to snap at her like you did. You get up and wrap one of the smaller blankets around your shoulders.

        You step out into the hallway and nearly plow over Romelle. Quick thinking has you shooting out an arm to wrap around her before she hits the deck. She blinks up at you and you gently pull her upright.

 “Are you okay?” You ask.

 “I’m fine sir. Though, I must admit that was a bit rude of you.” Romelle steps out of your arms.

 “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know you’d be right outside.”

 “Don’t worry.” She waves it off. You shift the blanket around your shoulders as Romelle gives you a curious look.

 “Is… Is Allura up yet?” You play with a loose thread.

 “She woke up not too long ago to be honest. I was about to head down to the kitchens to see if breakfast was ready.”

 “Oh. Cool, cool.” You rock on your feet.

 “Did you… want to talk to her?”

 “Yeah, I uh, I did.”

 “Then by all means, Prince Lance,” She gestures down the hallway. “She is yours.”

 “Thank you.” You give her a nod.

 “Of course.” She curtsies and continues on her way to the kitchens. You take a breath to steel your nerves.

 “It’s just Allura.” You remind yourself as you walk down the hall to her room. Yet, there is still this anxious bubble in your chest that threatens to burst. It takes you a moment to work up the courage to knock on her door.

 “Come in.” You hear her call out. It’s now or never.

        You step inside her suite. It mirrors your own in placement of key items. Granted it’s a bit bigger. You give it a low whistle as you look around the place.

 “He sure knows how to spoil a gal, huh?” You say.

 “Oh hush.” Allura grumbles into her bed. Chuckling, you walk over and sit on the edge of it. She peeks one eye open to look at you.

 “Hey, about last night…” You start, rubbing at the back of your neck. Allura rolls over a bit to look at you more fully.

 “I’m sorr--” You are cut off by a mouth full of pillow as Allura hurls it at you. It nearly sends you careening off the edge of the bed, knocking the blanket off of your shoulders. You look over at her with mock betrayal.

 “You don’t get apologize before I do!” She sits up and crosses her arms over her chest.

 “Well, _excuse_ me, I just thought I’d be the bigger person here.”

 “You don’t have to. I mean, I’m glad for the sudden,” She gestures vaguely. “ _Maturity_ from you but you don’t need to apologize.”

 “Wow. Rude.” You stick your tongue out and toss the pillow back to her. She catches it and sets it in her lap.

 “I’m serious though Lance. You did _me_ the favor of accompanying me on this trip and I made you uncomfortable on your first night.” She plays with the edge of the pillow, bottom lip jutting out.

 “Fine, fine! I accept your apology. Just stop pouting. You look like a sad, gassy, camel who swallowed a toad.”

 “Now who’s being rude?” She laughs as she smacks you with her pillow again. You overdramatically fall back onto her bed clutching at your chest.

 “Wounded! Death comes ever closer. I can almost feel her.” You reach your arm up into the air. Allura leans over you, her hair falling into your face.

 “Really?”

 “And now, I am blinded. The Gods are simply protecting me from seeing the light.”

 “Now you’re being absolutely silly.” She brushes her hair out of your face.

 “But in all seriousness, I really do accept your apology.” You look up at her.

 “Thank you. To be honest, I had only asked because the moment Shiro would step away from us I would sense this heavy presence. And did you see those paintings along the entrance? They had me creeped out!”

 “Ugh, right? They just leak out this awful, power-hungry, vibe. Not at all like King Shiro.”

 “King Shiro.” Allura sighs dreamily and lays down beside you.

 “So I take it you find him to your liking?”

 “Oh he’s… how do I put it?”

 “Crafted by the Gods? Placed here for divine intervention? Here to open everyone’s minds and hearts? I can keep going if you’d like.” You tease her.

 “Well yes, that too,” She laughs. “But, he seems nice. Kind-hearted, brave, and he is _very_ charming I won’t lie.”

 “He’s like the only ray of sunshine in this gloomy, haunted castle.”  
  
 “Haunted?” Allura whips around to look at you, her eyes wide open. You hadn’t meant for it to sound quite like _that_ . You don’t even know if the place is haunted or cursed or what have you. But because _you’ve_ said it, she’s going to think it’s true.  
  
 “I didn’t mean it like that, I just meant that the place is kind of gloomy. That’s all.” You try to explain yourself.

 “Oh,” She chews on her lip and tilts her head, “But are you sure? What about last night?”  
  
        Here we go, _again_.  
  
 “Allura… Didn’t we just apologize about this particular topic?”

 “Well, _you’re_ the one who brought it up this time.”

 “Yeah, but you’re the one who runs away with it every time it gets brought up.” You fling your arms out.

 “Lance--”

 “Ghosts aren’t real. Faeries aren’t real. Not even beasts are real.” You cut her off.

 “Well if that’s the case, why were you sent to Altea to be with us?” She crosses her arms. Your jaw falls open, gaping at her.

 “ _Excuse_ me?” You are hurt and thrown for a loop. _How dare she!_ Allura takes one look at you and you can see the flash of regret in her eyes. You get to your feet and march toward the door.

 “First of all, what makes you think you can just--” You start but pause as she wraps her hand lightly around your arm. You look back at her, flexing your jaw.

 “What happened was not your fault Lance.” Allura says softly. You look away from her and swallow thickly. This is not the time nor the place you want to be having this topic brought up. In fact if you had to pick a place or time, it’d be nowhere and never.

 “What you have is a gift, not a _curse_. You shouldn’t be afraid of it.” She continues gently. You don’t take your eyes off the floor.

 “Princess, you’ll never -- oh,” Romelle enters the room, holding a small tray of fruit. “Am I interrupting something?” She asks. _Saved by the Rom-bell._

 “No, you’re not.” You tell her before Allura can say anything. She lets go of your arm and smiles at Romelle.

 “Oh, good.” Romelle sighs.

 “Is that what’s for breakfast?” Allura gives the fruit tray a skeptical look.

 “No, no. King Shiro is downstairs eating breakfast right now. He wanted me to extend the two of you an invitation to join him if you were interested.” Romelle sets the tray down on the small table in the room.

 “Oh stars above, I’m not even remotely dressed or _prepared_ for that!” Allura runs a hand through her messy hair. On that note, you decide it best to leave the two ladies to it.

        You slip out of their room and lean against the door. There’s a heaviness in your heart that still lingers like a small shadow on the brightest of days. Your fingers rub small circles into the door frame. Regardless of what Allura may think, it _is_ your fault. You sigh and push yourself off the door, marching back down the hall.

        Much like Allura, you are not dressed or prepared for the day. You swing open your bedroom door intent on correcting this situation. The servants have placed your things about the room, but most of it still remains in its luggage cases. You roll your sleeves up and go over to the closest case. You pop it open and keep yourself busy with the mindless task of unpacking.

        It keeps you busy for quite some time. You finally have all your clothes placed in your overly spacious closet, luggage cases sitting on the floor in the back corner. Various items are now strewn about. Your hairbrush sits over by the vanity, your toothbrush resting in the bathroom, and a few books rest on the desk. You are going through the last case when you discover it’s full of your astronomy equipment.

        Immediately you dig through it and find your spyglass. The moment your wrap your fingers around it you are up and out the door. You briefly get lost on your way outside to the gardens, but you make it in one piece. You pout up at the cloudy skies and the tall castle walls.

        It’s not quite the situation you were hoping for. Castle Stoneheart is built on top of a hill, there’s no need for the walls to be _this_ tall. Is there? You huff and run your free hand along the concrete. _Okay_ , you think to yourself, _it’s for the castle’s defense_. Still, it doesn’t mean you _like_ it. You glance up a the top of the wall and contemplate,  _could you reach it if you jump_ _?_

        You are pretty certain you could, but you lack the upper body strength to be able to haul yourself up. You groan and turn around. Right behind you is Ulaz, and you certainly didn’t hear him approach. So you do what any person would and simply, very calmly, ask him if he needed something. Or well, that’s what you would tell someone if they asked.

 “Gods fucking below!” You screech loudly in reality. You press your hand to your chest as if to keep your heart from leaping out.

 “I do apologize if I startled you, Prince Lance.” Ulaz inclines his head towards you.

 “Startled is certainly one way to put it.” You take a few breaths.

 “You act as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

 “Ghosts are not _real_.” You stomp your foot like the mature prince you are.

 “Of course not, my apologies.” Ulaz says, voice flat. You can’t tell if the guy is dicking around with you or not. You stare a bit longer at him.

 “Is… there something you wanted Ulaz?”

 “I was worried when I saw you running towards the castle walls. I am just glad to find you with both feet on the ground.” He crosses his arms behind his back.

 “Yeah, well, I thought about scaling it for a moment but,” You wiggle an arm in explanation. “Y’know how it is.” Ulaz gives it a look and shrugs his shoulders.

 “Not exactly.”

 “Well maybe _you_ wouldn’t know since you’re kinda like, built like a brick house.”

 “A brick house?” He raises an eyebrow.

 “Yeah like -- nevermind.” You sigh and play with the spyglass in your hands.

 “If I may recommend, there is a tower in the castle in which you can get the best sight of the town. I don’t doubt the view would be less than wonderful with that.” He gestures to the spyglass.

 “I don’t suppose you could show it to me?” You say as you look up at him. He nods and turns to face the castle.

 “Do you see that tower there?” He points out. You follow his arm to look at it, but your eyes get caught on something up on the castle roof.

 “Yeah.” You say, not able to take your eyes away.

 “That is where we will be going.” Ulaz says as he’s walking away. You raise your spyglass up to your eyes, looking through it at the spot you seem to be stuck on. On the roof, crouched low and clutching the edge, is a gargoyle. It almost feels like it’s staring back at you.

 “Prince Lance?” Ulaz calls out, making you jump and nearly drop your spyglass.

 “Yes! R-right away!” You finally tear your eyes away from the roof and catch up to Ulaz. He has the hint of an amused smile on his lips.

 “Find something interesting?” He asks once you are closer. You feel a heat rise up to your face.

 “Just a gargoyle on the roof.” You mumble.

 “Ah. The ‘beast’.” Ulaz says as he leads you through the hall.

 “ _That’s_ the Beast?” You nearly jerk to a halt. Ulaz snorts. You have little doubt that it would have been a heartier laugh if you weren’t the Prince.

 “The beast is a child’s tale, Prince Lance.” He looks back over at you.

 “What do you mean?” You ask.

 “The beast is not real. It is simply made up to have something to pin the misfortunes of the castle and the kingdom upon.”

 “It’s a scapegoat?” You follow him as he heads up the spiral staircase.

 “Exactly.”

 “If it’s a scapegoat, then why does it have a room?”

 “The room is where one would put the bad in. Cursed book? In the room it goes. A letter you wrote to get awful feelings out? Into the room.”

 “Then why doesn’t King Shiro know that much about it?”

 “Because you do not go into the room.”

 “Then how do you put things _in_ the room?” You squint at him. He looks at you over his shoulder and you smirk triumphantly when he doesn’t give you an answer right away.

 “Metaphors, Prince.” Ulaz says as he opens the door in front of him. He holds it open for you to step through.

 “Sure is a lot for a metaphor.” You say, crossing the threshold. Ulaz was not lying, you truly can see the town below from here. You walk over to one of the grand openings and whistle lowly.

 “I shall leave you to it.”

 “Yeah. Thanks.” You give him a smile. He bows and turns on his heel, pulling the door shut behind him.

        You lean against one of the columns and take a deep breath. It’s nice up here even with the stormy weather above. You pull the spyglass up and look out at the town below. It’s a wonderful little town. From what you can see of it, it’s arranged the way the town back at your home kingdom is built. However it does have some stark differences to how the town is arranged in Altea.

        In Altea, there’s additional walls that encircle not just the castle, but the city and town further out. It’s there to defend the people but the gates are always open to allow people to flow in and out as they please. In a way, the towns folk also live within the castle’s walls. Here, and at your home, the town rests outside of the castle’s walls. It leaves the town without a central means of defense but the castle is better protected.

        You get a strange feeling and find yourself glancing to the side. You walk over to that opening, allowing you to see along the side of the castle. From here you get a closer view of the gargoyle that you got stuck on. You shake your head.

 “It’s not real, Lance. It’s a child’s tale, a metaphor.” You whisper to yourself. Perhaps the air up here is too fresh. Yeah, that’s definitely it. You turn around and walk back inside.

        You get back to your room and set your spyglass upon the desk. You gently place your bag of astronomy equipment over there as well. While you know it’s not something you have to do, you make your bed to keep your hands busy. You look down at the pajamas you are still wearing and groan. Oh Gods you can’t believe you ran outside like this. Ulaz even saw you, no wonder the guy was so worried.

        You sigh and head over to your attached bathroom, nabbing a towel from one of the cabinets. A good shower will help settle everything that’s happened this morning for sure. As you stand under the spray of water and scrub at your hair you think about what Ulaz had said about the beast. It’s a comforting thought to know the beast isn’t a real thing, just a boogeyman.

        You wonder if King Shiro grew up with stories of the beast coming to punish him if he were to misbehave. It makes you chuckle softly as you step out of the shower. You dry yourself off with the towel you brought in. Maybe everything about this castle feels weird because it’s old. Old things tend to contain many memories and it’s probably just the echoes that you are feeling.

        You pull on your clothes and dry your hair. When you sit down at the vanity this time, you are looking much better. Definitely more lively than you were this morning.

 “Hey good lookin’.” You wink at yourself. You go over to your desk, picking up one of the textbooks you had been reading. You fully intend to study it the way you’re supposed to but there is a gentle knock at your door.

 “Come in.” You call out, setting it back down and heading for the door. Romelle cracks the door open a bit.

 “Prince Lance, King Shiro and Princess Allura are offering you an invitation to lunch.” She says.

 “And you left them alone?” You press a hand to your mouth. “Scandalous.”

 “Coran is with them now.” She rolls her eyes.

 “As if he wouldn’t leave them alone if Allura blinked her pretty eyes at him and asked.” You joke, heading for the door. Lunch does sound good, after all you did skip breakfast.


	3. Mars in Retrograde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:  
> \- Panic Attack  
> \- Paranoia

         You join Princess Allura and King Shiro in the dining hall for lunch. The grand table once again set up for you. Allura looks up as you enter the room and smiles. King Shiro follows her gaze and gets to his feet to greet you. He offers out his hand and you wrap yours around his forearm as per customs. Shiro does the same and gives your arm a good shake.

 “I’m glad you could join us for lunch.” He smiles and waves for you to sit at an empty chair.

 “Well I couldn’t let my cousin have all the fun with you.” You say as you take your seat. He chuckles and sits at the head as he had last night.

 “Speaking of fun, don’t forget that Shiro will be hosting a welcoming party for us this weekend.” Allura reminds you.

 “Of course I won’t. I am not one to forget a party.” 

 “If there is anything you need for it, please don’t hesitate to ask me.” Shiro adds.

 “Don’t sweat it man. I will.” You smile over at him.

 “What have you been up to all day?” Allura asks you. 

 “Oh, unpacking mostly. Ulaz showed me to a cool tower that had this amazing view of the town.”

 “The messenger tower?” Shiro asks as he leans back to allow the servants to set the final touches of the food.

 “Is that what it is?” You tilt your head.

 “Most likely.”

 “It had this big ol’ gargoyle near it.” You say. Shiro furrows his brows, confused. He looks like he’s about to ask you something when Allura cuts him off.

 “Oh, Lance! I was telling Shiro about your interest in Astronomy,” She says, laying her hand on Shiro’s arm. “He mentioned the night sky tends to be rather clear out.” She looks over at him to confirm.

 “It’s true. I’ve been to a small handful of other countries in my youth. I have to say it’s one of the best places to see the stars.” He smiles.

 “Only _one_ of the best? What’s the _absolute_ best place then?” You lean over the table, resting your chin in your palm. Shiro looks over at Allura.

 “I daresay it’d be in Princess Allura’s eyes.” She widens her eyes, then ducks her face to hide her blush. _What a smooth operator._

 “Aww.” You coo only to have Allura nudge you under the table with her foot. You nudge her back and eat the wonderful meal that you have been given before it goes cold.

        You enjoy the roasted quail and contemplate going down the kitchens and proposing to the chef. Maybe it’s because you had been hungry, but this is one of the best things you’ve eaten this week. Almost better than the meal last night.

 “Oh, King Shiro --” You snap your fingers.

 “Just Shiro.” He reminds you again, amusement in his eyes.

 “Shiro,” You correct yourself. “I wanted to apologize to you.”

 “ _More_ apologies?” Allura raises an eyebrow.

 “What for?” Shiro tilts his head.

 “I had totally been mocking you about the whole ‘Beast’ thing. I really needed to apologize.”

 “Oh. I had forgotten about it honestly.” He waves it off.

 “Well, I clearly need to make up for it somehow.” You frown.

 “How about this, a couple of kids come in today and I’d like you to meet them. They’re some of the brightest I’ve met.”

 “Brightest huh? I hope we can find some sort of overlap in interests then.”

 “I think you will. They are both learning about the stars as well, quite fascinated by them really. If you’d like, I can take you to them and introduce you to Thace as well.”

 “Thace?” You ask.

 “He’s a professor. I studied under him as a child and he’s very good at his job. He watches over everyone who comes in to study.” Shiro takes a sip from his goblet.

 “Alright, yeah. Take me to the professor.” You say as you polish off the last remnants of your food.

        After the servants clean up, Shiro walks through the halls with you and Allura right behind him. He moves with the calm, confident, steps of someone who has walked the castle for years. No, it’s not just that. You notice the way he carries his shoulders and keeps scanning the hall. This is someone who carries a kingdom, a town, his whole world, on his back.

        You frown slightly and glance over at Allura. Her posture is almost the same, having changed with the more responsibilities that became hers. You can’t help but hope they learn how to unwind together. The two of them can shoulder the burdens with each other and take some of the weight off their backs. 

 “King Shiro,” A man bows as you enter the study. “I take it you are doing well?”

 “More so than ever.” Shiro smiles, gesturing to you and Allura.

 “Princess Allura.” She introduces herself without prompting.

 “Ah yes, the King’s bride to be. I’ve heard you are quite a brilliant young lady.” The man smiles.

 “Thank you.”

 “And I’m Prince Lance.” You say, not wanting to be left out of the conversation.

 “Prince Lance?” He taps his finger against his jaw, then clicks his tongue sharply. “That’s right, you have outstanding aim with a crossbow if I do recall. And a Leo too.” He  chuckles.

 “Well, I don’t know about the Leo part, but I _am_ good at target practice.” You smile.

 “It is nice to meet you both. I am Thace,” He bows to you three. “Will you be joining us for today’s lesson?” He asks Shiro.

 “Lance here was _absolutely_ excited to join in. But I must say, Allura and I are feeling a bit tired. I don’t think we’d be able to.”

 “Oh yes, we’re awfully beat.” Allura sighs, shoulders slumping. _Are they really trying to do what you think they’re doing?_

 “What a shame.” Thace frowns.

 “You know what, as a good King I shouldn’t disappoint you should I Lance?” Shiro turns to you.

 “I know the correct answer is ‘yes’ but --”

 “Then by all means stay and enjoy the lesson from Thace,” He pats your shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “May I lead you to your room, Princess?” Shiro turns to her.

 “Would you be so kind?” She steps forward and hooks her arm in his.

 “Woah, woah, woah. Hold on.” You look between them.

 “I’m sure the kids would love to meet you. They seem awfully bored of having only me around.” Thace adds in. You look over to the older man and realize you have been thrown to the wolves.

 “Have a good time for us Lance.” Allura says as Shiro escorts her out the room, trying not to giggle. You cannot _believe_ . You have been dropped off at _science daycare._

        Glancing around the room, you rock on your feet, nerves coiling in your stomach. You chew on your cheek and make your way over to one of the large tables. You sit on its surface and drum your fingers against the wood.

 “You seem nervous.” Thace says, turning back around and shuffling the papers on his desk.

 “Me? Nervous? Psh, no way.” You lean back on your arms.

 “Of course not, my apologies.” He says, voice laced with mirth.

 “So these… kids, when do they show up?” You swing your legs back and forth. Thace leans back to glance up at the clock situated over on the wall next to you.

 “In a few minutes. Usually they show up with lunch.”

 “And… you let them eat during your study time?”

 “I don’t see why not, as long as it doesn’t distract from my teaching.” He shrugs.

 “Wow. That’s so unfair.” You whine. He holds a small stack of papers in his hands when he turns around. He fixes you with a questioning look.

 “I couldn’t even _snack_ with my tutor around. Heck just having water was practically not allowed.”

 “How unfortunate of them to prevent you from producing your best results.” He frowns and places the stack next to you. The door swings open and bounces against the wall with a crack that has you flinching.

 “Single!” Shouts one voice.

 “Double!” A second one replies. Both people have their arms full of some sort of device. And they _certainly_ aren’t as young as you were expecting. They carry it in the best they can together.

 “Single!” The taller of the two says again.

 “Double!” The shorter one huffs almost slamming down their half of the mechanism on the table next to you. Okay, well, maybe they fight like kids but they are definitely closer to your age.

 “Good afternoon you two, we have a guest today.” Thace says, ignoring their actions as if it occurs frequently. They break from their argument and look over at you. The smaller rolls their eyes.

 “Oh uh, hi, I’m Hunk,” Hunk offers you a smile and gives you his hand. You grab each other by the forearm and shake. “And this is Pidge.” He gestures to his friend.

 “Who the heck is _he_ , another surprise guest?” Pidge looks you over with their arms crossed.

 “This is Prince Lance.” Thace introduces you.

 “ _Riiight_ . Thank you _so_ much for joining us Prince.” They scoff and mock curtsey before turning back to the equipment.

 “Um, Pidge. I think Professor Thace is being serious.” Hunk says quietly.

 “Sure he is,” They wave a hand dismissively. “Just like the ‘King of Atlantis’ stopped by last week.” You cross your arms over your chest.

 “Excuse _me,_ but I _am_ a Prince. In fact, I am cousins with Princess Allura. Maybe you’ve heard of her?” You settle your hands on your hips. Hunk seems to lose a bit of color in his face.

 “Wait, like, Princess Allura of Altea? Shiro’s fianceé, Princess Allura? Daughter of King Alfor, Princess Allura?” The words rush out of him.

 “Unless you know any other Alluras. Which, _trust me_ , one is enough.” You snort. Pidge seems to have stilled in their check up on whatever gadget that had been tossed on the table. They groan loudly and turn to you.

 “Are you serious?” They ask you.

 “Very.” You say.

 “Well, I always wanted to be executed in another kingdom. I guess dreams really do come true.” Pidge grumbles.

 “You mean nightmares!” Hunk looks over at them.

 “Same thing.” They shrug.

 “Not really, no.” He shakes his head. Pidge sighs and curtsies for you like a ‘proper young lady’ is taught..

 “Welcome, Prince Lance.” They say, tone flatter than the ground you walk on.

 “Wow, that had no heart in it at all. I should make you do it again.” You say with a smirk.

 “You get _one_ ,” Pidge says. “Save it for when I’m actually in a dress.” They gesture to their shorts for emphasis.

 “Rude.” You stick your tongue out at them.

 “Practical.” They say, walking around the table and picking up a few sheets of paper from the stack Thace had placed earlier.

 “Sorry, they just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” Hunk rubs at the back of his neck.

 “It’s fine. I’m just pulling their leg.” You say.

 “It’s nice to have you here though.” He says as he too grabs a few sheets and looks them over.

 “Yeah, _bed_. Everything to do with the lack of sleep and _nothing_ to do with the stars.” They give Hunk a look.

 “Of course you’d say that, Mars is in retrograde right now.” He doesn’t look away from his papers, flipping one over to check the back.

 “Can you believe him?” Pidge looks over at you with disbelief.

 “Actually I can. Full moons make me wanna howl.” You say. They pinch the bridge of their nose and take a deep breath.

 “Prince Lance is a Leo.” Thace says from where he’s writing on the chalkboard. Hunk snaps his head up to you and gasps.

 “A Leo?”

 “Oh _gods_ , here he goes again.” Pidge groans.

 “Uh, I mean, I guess I am?” You shrug. Hunk’s eyes sparkle.

 “Dude, we are gonna be the best pals.”

 “Are we?” You tilt your head.

 “According to some stars.” Pidge grumbles.

 “ _Well_ maybe those stars are right.” You find yourself throwing an arm around Hunks shoulders.

 “Not only stars,” Hunk wags a finger at them. “ _Look_ at him, he’s clearly studious because he’s here of all places. He was teasing you a while ago, so you know he’s fun. _And_ he has a firm handshake, so you know he’s social.”

 “Yeah! I’m absolutely amazing, you just don’t realize it. Hunk and I are gonna be super pals. Maybe if I’m feeling generous, I’ll even be friends with you too.”

 “Oh joy. I am floored by your graciousness.” Pidge sits in a chair.

 “That’s just Pidge for ‘I hope we become friends too’. Don’t worry, I speak fluent Pidge now.” Hunk stage whispers. “Also they’re an _Aries_.” He adds as if it means anything to you. Which, maybe in a few weeks, it will all make sense.

        Over the course of the lesson Thace walks you through, you and Hunk whisper to each other about feelings and the stars and how they all overlap. Pidge keeps whining and complaining about learning something that isn’t wholly based in science.

 “Both astronomy and astrology are new studies, new sciences. Where there is one, there is the other. There must be a balance and harmony amongst the universe.” Thace reminds them and informs you. You find yourself liking the guy.

        After he hands out new sheets of paper to Hunk and Pidge, he packs up his belongings and leaves you three alone in the room for now. You look over at Hunk’s sheet and squint at it. It almost looks like it’s work for them to do at home. How gross. Instead you look over at the scrap metals on the table.

 “So like, what’s with the iron giant over there?” You ask, gesturing to it.

 “Oh well, you see --” Hunk starts before Pidge cuts him off.

 “We’re building a telescope!” They slam their hands down on the table.

 “A… telescope? I _own_ a telescope, would you like to borrow it?” You raise an eyebrow, offering.

 “You have a telescope. Hunk and I are building a _telescope_.”

 “Well now that you’ve said it with a completely different tone of voice I’m intrigued. Tell me more.” You say.

 “What if, with the right mirrors and glass, we could build a telescope and see farther into space. Much farther than any other telescope we have today.”

 “Like, past the moon?” You ask. 

 “Way past the moon. I’m talking Pluto and farther.” They say with a wild look in their eyes.

 “Fucking superb you funky lil’ Galileo,” You chuckle. “If it works, I want to be one of the first ones to check it out.”

 “After Hunk and myself of course.” They say crossing their arms.

 “Aww.” Hunk smiles.

 “Deal.” You offer Pidge a hand.

 “Deal.” They shake on it.

 “So, what makes your telescope better?” You ask. They turn to their gizmo and pat it with care.

 “Well you see it is based on Cassegrain’s basic telescope design. However instead of having a parabolic primary with a hyperbolic secondary mirror, this bad boy has _two_ hyperbolic mirrors.” Their eyes shine with something you can’t quite place, and you look over at Hunk. He smiles but nods along with what Pidge is saying.

 “So… it’s more reflective?” You try.

 “I mean, most of the current telescopes are reflecting types. This is a refracting telescope, so it’s more compact and has a wider view angle. We’re still encountering issues with the atmospheric distortion but honestly that’s just always going to be an issue.”

 “Atmospheric… distortion.”

 “Yeah, it’s caused by shifting air pockets which bounce the light from the stars everywhere.” They say. You look over to Hunk again.

 “It makes the stars twinkle.” He translates.

 “Ah. Okay. And that’s bad right?”

 “It’s horrible. With it we get blurry results. There isn’t much we can do about it unless we, I don’t know, launch ourselves into space.” Pidge heaves a sigh and leans back in their chair.

 “Launch ourselves into space? _How?_ Catapult?” You joke.

 “It’s not impossible, you just have to move at roughly five miles per second. That should in theory get you in orbit. But when it comes to getting you up there, well you’d have to consider the weather, type of fuel and it’s intake, shape of whatever you’re in and such. Then you’d have to make sure you could get the angle right once you’re out to keep you from --” You have definitely gotten a bit lost. It’s a nice dream though, launching out into space. You wonder what it’d be like out there. How would the earth look from that far away. Hunk continues to nod along to what Pidge is saying, soft smile on his face. He gets a bit pink when he notices you’ve been staring at him.

 “You okay there buddy?” You ask with a smirk on your face. He turns pinker and clears his throat.

 “You uh, you said that the full moon makes you want to howl. So um is that your way of coming out as a werewolf to us?” Hunk plays with his fingers and asks instead of responding to you. You snort.

 “A werewolf?”

 “Yeah, a werewolf? Hunk, c’mon, the prince isn’t nearly that fuzzy. Heck I’d peg him for a vampire before werewolf.” Pidge says crossing their arms.

 “Oh come on, I’m not that broody. Besides do you see this beautiful skin? I would die without the sunlight thank you very much.” You stick your tongue out at them.

 “Yeah Pidge. Besides there can be not-so-furry werewolves.”

 “Werewolves are not indigenous to this _area_ Hunk.”

 “And vampires are?” You raise an eyebrow at them.

 “At least more likely than a werewolf.” They huff.

 “So you _don’t_  believe that the moon’s gravity has an effect on humans, _but_  you believe in vampires?” You scoff.

 “I mean, just because you haven’t _seen_ one doesn’t mean they aren’t real.” Hunk taps the side of his head.

 “Trust me, I _see_ plenty.” You grumble and rest your chin on your hand.

 “Plenty? So then have you seen the Beast?” Pidge leans closer to you.

 “The Beast isn’t real.” You tell them.

 “I thought you said you’ve seen plenty. So you _haven’t_ seen the Beast?”

 “And you have?”

 “Well I mean, he only moves around at night,” Hunk says. “It gets too dark to see him clearly.”

 “But I _have_ caught a glimpse of him, even Hunk _heard_  him.” They say proudly.

 “It was terrifying.”

 “It was awesome.”

 “Well, you’re wrong.” You get up from your chair and walk closer to the chalkboard. This tug-o-war of what is real and is not is making you uncomfortable again.

 “Wrong? Excuse me? I may not have the clearest _sight_ but we’ve gathered more than enough evidence to prove the Beast is a real entity.” Pidge stands up and braces their arms against the table. They narrow their eyes at you.

 “Uh huh.” You say, tone flat. You would like this topic to end already.

 “Pidge,” Hunk warns as if he can sense your displeasure. “Remember that not everyone can _see_ them.” He hisses.

 “What are you talking about?” You wrap your arms tightly around yourself.

 “Like you’d care. Let’s go Hunk, if he really wants to know then he can come ask us about our research. Until then, have a good night, Prince Lance.” They say, voice full of venom as they storm out of the room. Hunk sighs deeply and gets up to his feet.

 “They just don’t like being called a liar.” He explains as he picks up the chunk of metal and sets it in the back of the room.

 “I wasn’t --” You start.

 “I know,” He holds a hand up to stop you. “But that’s what they got from it. Don’t sweat it though, it’s a scary thing to talk about.” He grabs the sheet of paper Thace had given Pidge earlier. Your grip on your ribs tightens as you try to keep your breath steady.

 “See you later, yeah?” Hunk throws you one last smile as he leaves the room in search for his friend.

 “Gods at Mid, please just spare me.” You slowly unwrap your arms. You are now, once again, alone.

        You walk briskly back to your suite. You don’t feel in the mood to be dealing with any sort of people right now. If your eyes sting a bit you choose to ignore it until you are standing in your room with your back against the door. You heave a shaky, wet, breath as your knees threaten to give out on you.

        It feels like you’re on the butt end of a joke that everyone is playing. Ulaz told you that it wasn’t real, and you didn’t sense any malice from his words. When it comes to Hunk and Pidge, you can’t question the absolute sincerity behind them either. This sucks.

        You walk over to your bed and flop against it. The ceiling above you is dark and leaves you frowning. That’s right, the glowing crystal-like stars are still hanging up in your room back at Altea. You wipe at your eyes and take another slow and steady breath. There is only one way to get some answers here.

        You roll off your bed and storm out of your room. You stand in front of the door to the Beast’s suite. Tightening your shaking hands into fists, you take a deep breath to steel yourself.

 “It’s not real.” You whisper to yourself through a clenched jaw as you slowly reach out to the knob. It’s cold, the way metal usually is, nothing unusual about it. There is no current of quintessence, no zap of magic, it’s just a plain doorknob.

You take another breath and shut your eyes, pulling the door open. You’re expecting to hear something, feel something. Just _something_. You carefully crack an eye open and then your shoulders slump.

 “No...” Leaves your mouth so softly it’s more of an exhale than a word. In front of you, behind the door, is a wall.

 “No.” You say voice now firm, slamming your palms against the concrete. The stones bite at your skin but that’s all that happens. You shake your head and drag your fingers over each brick. An invisible hand tightens its grip around your ribs as you desperately look for a false stone.

        You run your hands through your hair when you find nothing. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? _So why are you so upset?_  It’s not real, there is nothing behind the door, and the Beast doesn’t exist. You slam the door shut to keep you from staring at the blank, _blank_ , wall. You swallow thickly and try to remain standing on your shaking knees.

        You can’t breathe. Your legs are moving before you process it fully. You go down the halls and up the spiral staircase, moving faster and faster, until you burst into the messenger tower. You fly over to the foremost opening and cling to the half wall that keeps you from tumbling out. A loud, frustrated, cry rips out of your throat and up to the full moon in the sky.

        Your knuckles tighten around the half wall as you hear something very  _suddenly_ scratching at the rooftop above you. You freeze in place, holding your breath. There’s the sound of wings flapping and more scraping against the tiles above. But most importantly, a voice that you barely catch.

 “Fuck.” The voice says, startled and breathless. It’s that soft, surprised, word that has you backing away slowly. There is a  _tap-click, tap-click_ as whatever is up there moves about the roof. You nervously glance at the other openings, waiting for it to appear, when you notice something missing.

        Along the side of the castle, the gargoyle you saw earlier this morning, is no longer crouched in its place. You look back up at the ceiling, mouth suddenly dry. No-to the-pe. You are having one too many problems.  _This_ is one you cannot handle right now.  _Tap-click, tap-click, tap-click_ , it gets closer to the edge from what you can tell.

        You very quietly close the door as you back out of the room. You hear a _whump_ of something landing in the room you just left. You cling tightly to the knob as you hear it step closer. _Tap-click, tap-click,_ you hold a hand over your mouth as it tries to turn the knob in your hand. Your mind is stuck on a loop of panic and fear.  _Gods above, please go away_.

        It gives the door one last shake before walking away. You sink to the ground, still clutching the knob. This was all way too much for you, for one day. This encounter itself has drained you. You draw a quick sigil on the door, a blessing. You lean heavily against it as your eyes start to droop.

        This whole day has been nothing but a nightmare. It has to be one of those surreal dreams where everything just feels too real. A weak hysterical laugh bubbles out as you tighten your grip on the knob, knuckles turning white. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll be in your room under your blankets, you tell yourself. You slump further against the door and tuck your face into your arm.


	4. Apols

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Oh yeah I have chapter four typed out I should post it!  
> Also me: //doesn't in favor of writing more chapters
> 
> OOPS

        You come back to your senses very slowly. You can’t feel your hands and your arms feel numb. There are soft footsteps walking up the hallway and stopping by you.

 “Prince Lance?” A hand gently touches your shoulder.

 “Mmnh?” You groan and tilt your head up to face the voice. You blink your bleary eyes and find Ulaz kneeling down next to you looking rather concerned.

 “Sorry to wake you sir, but I must say that doesn’t look very comfortable.”

 “S’not.” You agree, feeling the crick in your neck and ache in your legs.

 “Would you like me to help walk you back to your room?”

 “What time izzit?”

 “Three in the morning, sir,” Ulaz rises up to his feet. “I often patrol the castle to ensure its safety.” 

 “You’re a busy advisor.” You pry your fingers off the door knob and whimper. You rub the pain that lingers away and ignore the static feeling in your hands and arms.

 “I am.” He offers you a hand. You take it and he pulls you upright in a single, solid, motion.

 “My everything hurts.” You whine and lean against him.

 “Sleeping on the castle floors can do that.” Ulaz ducks under your arm and helps you support your weight. Without another word, he guides you back to your suite. You are thankful he doesn’t ask you any questions. He finally lets you go once he deposits you on your bed.

 “I hope you find yourself with a much better rest on your bed.” Ulaz says.

 “You and me both buddy.” You agree. He gives you a final bow and walks out, pulling the door shut behind him. You stretch your legs out and then walk over to the balcony.

        You take a breath of the fresh air. It’s still dark out, no doubt the sun won’t rise for another few hours or so. You lean against the railing and try to see if you can find the messenger tower from where you are. You can see just the tip of it’s spire.

 “What a night.” You sigh. Next to you is the gargoyle you had wrapped up on your first evening. It’s blanket has fallen off of its shoulders, half off the ground at this point. You chuckle and shake your head, fixing the blanket back around the guy.

 “Good gargoyle. That’s right. Gargoyles that don’t move are the best gargoyles.” You croon to it as you pat its shoulders. It says nothing. You drape your arms over it, cold stone leeching off your body heat.

 “Y’know… I feel like I’m going crazy. Like I’m losing it completely. And in the end, I’ll be just like Veronica.” A chill settles over your heart, your soul.

 “But she was never crazy, was she?” You ask yourself. _She could just see things no one else could, no one except you._ You rest your head against the gargoyle.

 “If I don’t accept this now, that it’s real, I’ll never really know peace will I?” You ask your stoney friend. It remains silent.

 “Good point,” You mumble. “But I can’t keep living in this constant fear. I can’t. I _know_ what would happen. I saw what it did to Veronica… and I don’t want to end up like that.” You rub at your watery eyes. Your mind is full of a dozen ‘what-ifs’.

 “I’m not going to lose anyone else over this. Including myself.” You set your jaw and square your shoulders. It’s not something you can accept in one go, but it’s something you can work on. You pat the silent friend once more.

 “Thanks for listening buddy.” You give it a half hearted smile before walking back into your room and passing out in bed.

        This time when you wake up, you are significantly less sore and stiff. You roll onto your back and stare up at the ceiling for a moment. The sudden epiphany you had earlier this morning still weighs on your body. With a deep sigh you pull the covers off of yourself and set your feet on the ground.

        You stretch your arms up, spine popping. You make your bed and walk over to get a nice morning shower. You rub your face under the spray and try to recall what you had learned years ago about all of this. You frown when you don’t recall too much. Sounds like you’re going to have to hit up Thace and see if there’s any books you can borrow on the subject of magick and it’s source, Quintessence.

 “Good morning beautiful.” You tell your reflection in your mirror once you are dressed. You go over to the balcony door, fully intent on letting the air breeze through your room while you’re out. But the door gets caught on something in front of it. Carefully you slip out of the space you had made and look at it.

        On the ground in front of the door is the blanket you had wrapped around your gargoyle friend. It’s folded neatly and on top of it is a few small purple hyacinths, an apology. You gently scoop them up and smile.

        You look around for who could have left them, and find no traces of anyone. But that’s alright, you know exactly who they are from. You move the blanket out of your way and carry the flowers to your room.

        You find a water pitcher and fill it up quickly in the bathroom. Once it’s full, you place them in the water and move the pitcher to the vanity. They’re lovely and smell nice. You go back and pick up the blanket and set it on a chair in your room. The flowers remind you there is someone you do need to apologize to as well.

        You head down to the study and peek inside the room. You find Thace sitting at the desk looking over some papers. You enter and make your way over to him.

 “May I help you Prince Lance?” He asks, glancing up at you over his glasses.

 “Oh uh, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

 “Nonsense. Besides, I needed a break from looking this over.” He sets the paper down and hooks his glasses into his shirt.

 “When do Hunk and Pidge show up?”

 “Around noon,” He looks over at the clock, “Which would be another two hours from now.” He looks back over at you. You frown and chew on your cheek.

 “Did you need something from one of them? They weren’t rude when I left, were they?”

 “No, no. If anyone was rude, it was me. I just wanted to apologize to them.” You sigh.

 “Being able to admit to a mistake is quite an honorable thing. And a hard thing to learn.”

 “Well, mi Amá didn’t raise no punk.” You go over and lean against the chalkboard. Thace chuckles and rearranges the papers on his desk.

 “What are you up to right now by the way?” You ask.

 “Grading the kids’ work.”

 “You know, with everyone calling Hunk and Pidge ‘kids’ I was expecting them to be _way_ younger. Not like, my age.”

 “I used to refer to them as young masters. Until Pidge called me ‘Dad’ by accident and my automatic response was ‘My Child’.” He rubs his forehead with a small smile.

 “Seriously?” You laugh.

 “I have called them kids ever since.”

 “Do you have any? Kids of your own I mean. You seem like you’d be a good dad.”

 “I am not fortunate enough to have any of my own.” He says softly.

 “Oh. I am --”

 “It’s alright. I’m glad to know you think I’d make a good father. Perhaps one day, fate will smile upon us.”

 “I hope so too.” You say. You two fall into a comfortable silence as he slips his glasses back on and reviews the paper in front of him again.

 “Hey Thace?”

 “Yes sir?”

 “Do you have any books on like, local legends? Mythology of the area and such? I feel that while I’m here I should learn about the culture of this country. Especially since Allura will be entering into such an important alliance with the marriage.” You ramble.

 “I take it you’ve seen the Beast.” Thace looks over at you with an amused smirk.

 “I… well… Yeah, I did.” You admit. He chuckles and marks something down on the paper in his hands.

 “I do have a few books you can borrow.” He gets up and walks over to one of the bookshelves that line the study.

 “So uh, what do you think about the Beast?” You ask, going over to him and taking the books he starts to hand you.

 “I think that he’s a metaphor.” He says, adding another book to your pile.

 “You sound like Ulaz.” You groan.

 “I see you’ve met my husband then.” Thace smiles and adds two more books.

 “Y-your husband?”

 “Yes. We’ve been married for nearly twenty years now.”

 “Twenty years?” You gasp. Thace, while having a bit of grey going on, does not look nearly that old.

 “We married a bit young, in another kingdom in the dead of night. We didn’t tell either of our parents. I still think, to this day,  Ulaz faked his death to run away with me. He’s never denied it after all.” He scoffs gently tracing the book he holds in his hands.

 “That is so romantic. How’d you two meet?” You are an absolute sucker for love stories.

 “We studied together.”

 “You were study buddies?” You nudge him gently with your elbow.

 “Yes, much like Hunk and Pidge.”

 “I knew it.” You whisper to yourself.

 “Excuse me?” He turns to look at you.

 “Oh nothing. I’m just so happy for you two. Twenty whole years. I was like three years old when you got married,” You hold your book pile close to you and sigh. “I’m still waiting for my knight in shining armor. Whether they be a beautiful woman or a handsome man I don’t mind. Just show up on the back of a steed with knight’s armor and whisk me away.”

 “I remember that feeling. You will find your knight one day. I did.” He gives you a smile and adds one last book to your pile.

 “You think so?” You glance at the pile then up to him.

 “Certainly.”

 “Thank you.”

 “Of course,” He pats the top book in your pile. “You can take these back to your room if you need to, just make sure to return them.”

 “Yes sir.” You nod and take them over to one of the long tables. You set the books down and Thace shakes his head amused. He heads back to his desk to continue to grade papers.

        You look through your pile of books and notice one of them is actually on the study of Quintessence. You look up to where Thace is sitting, the man quietly making another mark on the paper in front of him. _Does he know?_ You can’t help but wonder. You chew your cheek as you look at the book. Anxiety starts to bubble up in your gut just from looking at it.

        You don’t think Thace knows, or at least you hope he doesn’t. You put the book off to the side and crack open one of the other ones. You skim through the index of one of the mythology books until you find what you’re looking for. You flip through the book until you get to the pages about the Beast.

        It has an illustration of a snarling monster on one side, sharp teeth bared and claws out. You find yourself thinking about the hyacinths it had brought you. It clashes quite a bit with the image, enough to make you frown. The text on the Beast is only a few paragraphs long and is mostly filled with theories about it.

 “Ugh.” You murmur and flip it shut. You grab the next one.

        This one has quite a few pages on the Beast. However it’s mostly about Stoneheart Castle itself. This is something that happens over several of the other books. It’s almost as if nobody knows anything about the beast but everything about the mentioned metaphors. It has you at a bit of a dead end until you grab one of the oldest books in the stack Thace had given you.

        This one actually gives you some information, though it’s not much. It’s still better than the guesses in the other books. According to personal accounts, the Beast stands taller than the average human male. It has large bat like wings and seems to be nocturnal by nature. There are even a few records of invaders having been chased away from the castle itself by the Beast. Other than that, it’s about Stoneheart Castle.

        You close it and set it aside with the others. A quick glance at the clock tells you there is still an hour left before Hunk and Pidge show up. You place your head on the table and groan, rocking your head back and forth. What are you going to do for the next hour?

        You rest your cheek on the table and glance over at the book on Quintessence that you had set aside earlier. You bite your lip and look over at Thace. He’s moved onto a new task you’d guess. He’s leaning over the table and writing something down, glancing into one of his books for reference.

        With a deep breath you open the book. You notice there are handwritten notes in the margins of the pages. Big blocky letters and small sloppy script, two very different people. If you had to take a guess at who wrote in this book you would probably nail it. Your fingers trace over their letters and you sigh to yourself. You really do need to apologize.

 “Mermaids!” Says one voice as the door opens.

 “Sirens!” Comes the second voice. You look up as Hunk and Pidge walk in.

 “Mermaids!” Pidge rolls their eyes.

 “Sirens!” Hunk strongly disagrees. You don’t even know what this argument is about either. Pidge finds you sitting at the table and glares daggers at you. They turn their head sharply away and huff. They even go out of their way to sit at a different table.

 “Hey there Prince Lance.” Hunk smiles and waves.

 “Hi Hunk,” You get up from your table and go over to him. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

 “Uh yeah, sure. What’s up?” He gives you a curious look. You wrap a hand around his bicep, _holy moly that’s big strong,_ and tug him into the corner of the room.

 “How… does one apologize to a Pidge?” You ask him. His eyes light up.

 “I knew you were a good guy. Okay, listen. You can’t just apologize straight up for what you did. They won’t take it and sometimes it’ll make it worse.”

 “Oh boy.”

 “So, we need to sneak down to the kitchens and make ourselves some cookies. Not just any kind will do either. I’m talking the most peanut buttery of all cookies.”

 “Okay. Problem.” You tap his shoulder.

 “What?”

 “I don’t know how to make cookies, let alone peanut butter cookies.”

 “No sweat, I do. What kind of friend doesn’t know how to make their best friend’s comfort food?” He says as he turns to look over at Thace.

 “Friends like me I guess.” You mumble.

 “Hey Professor Thace, Lance and I are gonna go grab some food okay?” He shouts. Pidge snaps their head over to the two of you, almost betrayed and hurt.

 “Of course. I had planned on making it a study day today.” Thace waves you two off. Hunk smiles over at Pidge and looks at you to guide him. They don’t take their eyes off you two until you leave.

        You recall very vaguely where the kitchens in this place are. You do run into Coran in the hallways. He seems just as surprised to see you too.

 “Lance, my boy, what are you up to?” He gives Hunk a curious look.

 “Oh hey Coran, this is Hunk. Hunk this is Coran. He’s Allura’s advisor.”

 “Hey there!” Hunk waves. Coran bows slightly back.

 “I hope you aren’t getting yourself into trouble.” He gives you and Hunk a look.

 “Of course not. We’re looking for the kitchens actually. A mutual friend of ours is in need of a snack.” You say. Coran raises an eyebrow and chuckles softly.

 “Well, you certainly are on the right track. Would you like me to further escort you there before I go and hunt down your cousin?”

 “Please.” You thank the Gods because you are certain you would have gotten lost. Coran nods and turns on his heel, continuing down the hall and leading you.

 “He sure moves fast.” Hunk says as you catch up to him.

 “He’s a man on a mission Hunk. Looking for Allura is going to be hard since she’s probably with the King.”

 “I thought they were supposed to be together?”

 “Not alone. She’s not married to him yet.” You tell him, keeping your pace brisk to stay close to Coran.

 “So?”

 “So, the two of them could end up doing something inappropriate that King Alfor would disapprove of. Not to mention what everyone in alliances with both kingdoms would say.” You shake your head.

 “That’s a lot of pressure.”

 “Yeah, it is,” You sigh. “Even I have eyes watching me. I’m the only son that’s left and I’m expected to take over for my father when the time comes. Anything I do puts everything into question.”

 “Can you like, step down?”

 “I wish buddy. I would’ve done it a long time ago.”

 “Here we are boys! Now if you’ll excuse me, I must find Allura.” Coran says, gesturing to the kitchen.

 “Gods grant you speed.” You tell him as he takes off in another direction.

        You walk into the kitchen and almost run into a chef. Hunk is quick to grab you and tug you back by your collar as the man crosses in front of you in a hurry.

 “Sorry!” Hunk smoothes out your shirt.

 “Dude, it’s fine.”

 “It looks super busy in here.”

 “Must be for getting ready for the party Shiro’s throwing for us tomorrow.” You hum as you look around the hustle and bustle of the kitchen.

 “Oh man, I bet there’s going to be such good food.” He sighs.

 “Probably.” You go to take another step in the kitchen but Hunk grabs your arm.

 “Hold up man, you’re gonna disrupt the flow.”

 “By all means, lead the way then big guy.” You step behind him. He nods and watches the cooks for a second longer before he’s pulling you into the crowds with him. He moves seamlessly with the others, not causing the slightest disruption. He doesn’t stop until he has you two situated in front of an oven.

 “That was impressive!” You look around and then up at him.

 “Ah it’s nothing. My family owns a busy soup kitchen so I know my way around.” He rubs the back of his neck.

 “Well, _I_ still think that was pretty cool,” You lean against the counter. “Show me how to make the cookies of peanut butter.”

 “Okay first, washing hands, because good sanitation makes good food.” He says, guiding you to the sink with ease. At least this isn’t too complicated yet.

 “Don’t forget to get under your nails too.” He says as you get started on washing your hands. You watch him roll up his sleeves and wash up to his elbows, and not wanting to be out done you follow suit. He shakes them dry in the sink and leads you back to the oven.

 “Now what boss?”

 “I want you to look for one of the most important ingredients, peanut butter. It should be in the stockroom back there,” He points it out for you. “Think you can handle that?” He teases.

 “Uh. Yeah. Of course I can.” You say, and step away from the safety that is Hunk.

        It is a frightening mess and a half to make your way to the stockroom. There are people everywhere and you find yourself in everyone’s way more than once. They occasionally give you an exasperated look, but most at least give you a strained smile. You slip into the stockroom and cling to the nearest shelf to breathe.

 “Peanut butter. Right.” You mumble to yourself as you look in the stockroom for it. In the end you groan and ask the first chef who comes in for it. They give you a strange look but pluck it off the shelf behind you. They hand you the jar and then continue about their work.

        You hold the jar close to you as you brave your way back out of the stock room. You think you’re starting to get the hang of this place as you get back much faster. Less people run into you as well. It’s not the best, but it is an improvement. You get back to Hunk and notice he has a bowl full of various things.

 “I see you were busy.” You say setting the jar on the counter next to him.

 “Yeah, sorry. I know you wanted me to show you but I don’t want to slow the cooks down too much by being in here.” He opens the jar and gets a cup full of the peanut butter. He plops it down into the bowl and drops half of a second one in for good measure.

 “You’re really good at this.” You say as you watch him mix everything together.

 “Like I said, my family has a busy soup kitchen. I kind of always figured I’d be working in it one day.” He scoops some of the dough out and rolls it into balls.

 “But you’re so smart, why limit yourself to the kitchen?”

 “Are you kidding? Baking is just chemistry you know.”

 “Still, you’re building a telescope and you’re wanting to work in a _kitchen_.”

 “You really think I’ll just work a kitchen and not be building things to make the process way more efficient?” He gives you a look. “Besides, I like watching the way people’s faces light up when they taste something good and knowing I made it. Not everyone understands a machine, nor do they always need one. But food is something everyone understands and needs.” He lines the balls up into neat rows along the metal tray.

 “It is universal, huh?”

 “Yeah.” Hunk chuckles and checks on the oven. He then slides the tray into it and pats his hands off.

 “Now what?” You ask.

 “Now we wait until they’re done,” He says rolling his head back and forth on his shoulders. “Shouldn’t be too long since the ovens have been on all morning.” He gives you a reassuring smile.

 “Thanks for all your help.” You tell him as you hop onto the counter.

 “No problem. I’m glad to see you two getting along.” He leans next to you, looking at the oven.

 “I felt really bad after what happened. I honestly didn’t mean to, y’know, make them feel like a liar.”

 “It’s just… Pidge and I are called brilliant and all this stuff. So when either of us talk about certain topics then they just use it to take us down a few pegs.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Like the Beast for example. If Pidge makes a comment about it back home, someone would tease them for believing in something ‘stupid’ and ‘you can’t be _that_ smart then’.” He glares at the wall in front of him. It sounds like he’s also talking from personal experience.

 “Which is why they got defensive when I said the Beast wasn’t real.”

 “Yeah,” He looks over at you. “The two of us gathered a lot of evidence, just to prove to ourselves it wasn’t in our heads you know. Concrete proof.”

 “Why would you think it’d be in your heads?” You ask. Hunk rubs the back of his neck and looks away. He stares at the oven for a few moments in thought.

 “Hunk?”

 “It’s… It’s complicated man. And I’m gonna be telling you this in complete confidence okay?” He gives you a serious look. Your stomach twists as you nod.

 “I won’t tell. I swear.” You cross your heart. Hunk regards you for a moment more before sighing and checking on the cookies in the oven.

 “When I was little, maybe six or seven, my nana she had passed away y’know? She had been real sick too. But she never really… left?” He looks over at you.

 “Like, her spirit was still there?”

 “I don’t know for sure. But I can tell you that I can still hear her singing in our kitchen at home when I cook. She’ll even tell me to add certain spices sometimes.” He chuckles. You can’t help but smile softly at the story.

 “That’s nice of her.”

 “Yeah. But Pidge…” He sighs and leans back against the counter with you.

 “Did… something bad happen?” You find your fingers tightening their grip on the countertop.

 “Pidge _had_ an older brother. When they were about ten, he was like seventeen I think and he um he disappeared.”

 “Humans don’t just disappear.” You mumble.

 “Well, they did find him later. But um. It was a bit too late.” Hunk picks at some of the dough on his shirt.

 “Oh.” You don’t know what else to say about it.

 “They can still see him every now and then. Their parents think it’s just stress that make them hallucinate. We know better though.” He looks over at you again. You chew on your cheek and take a deep breath.

 “I know what it’s like.” You say.

 “What do you mean?”

 “I can see things too.” Your voice is just barely above a whisper. You can’t look at him though, and keep your eyes glued to the floor in the kitchen.

 “Yeah? Thanks for telling me.” Hunk pats your shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. You finally look at him, and maybe he sees the fear in your eyes.

 “It’s alright man. I won’t tell anyone.” He give you a reassuring grin. You nod mechanically and glance back at the oven.

 “H-how are the cookies doing?” You choke out. He pulls some thick gloves on and pulls out the metal tray.

 “Oh, they are looking fantastic. Now personally, I’d let them cook longer but Pidge likes them just slightly underbaked for gooeyness. And who am I to deny them that?” He chuckles, setting the tray on top of the countertop and peeking into the cupboards above you. He pulls down a much smaller serving tray and a plate.

 “Take these please.” He hands them to you. You place the plate on the tray and take it from him.

 “Are you gonna put all of them on here?” You ask.

 “Well yeah. If they don’t eat them all then I’ll figure out what to do with them. But knowing Pidge, they’ll probably come close to polishing it off.” Hunk grabs a spatula and starts to pull the cookies off the tray. One by one he piles them onto the plate in your hands.

 “That sounds extremely unhealthy.” You look up at him when he places the last one. He places the thick gloves back where they belong.

 “Maybe, but they got graced with a high metabolism,” He shrugs. “Let me wash this stuff off and we’re good to go.” He gathers the items you’ve used and moves them to the sink. You hop off the counter and step up behind him. A sudden idea hits you.

 “Hey, think we could stop by room real quick before we go back to the study?” You ask.

 “Uh, sure. Did you forget something in there?”

 “Well, not exactly but I’ll explain when we get there.”

 “Yeah man. We just need to be quick about it. I don’t want to keep Pidge waiting for much longer.” Hunk says as he sets the items aside to air dry.

 “Lead us out of here?” You pick up the tray again.

 “But of course my Prince.” He teases and hooks his arm in yours. He watches the cooks moving about for a few seconds before guiding you through them with ease.

        After that it’s a quick detour to your suite. You lead him through the halls quicker this time now that you know where you’re going. You notice him pause and stare at the door to the Beast’s room. He frowns softly and then turns back to you all smiles and cheer again. It has you curious as you step into your room.

 “Did you hear something?” You ask him and walk over to your vanity. You set the tray down on it.

 “No, no. I just wasn’t expecting you to be staying by the Beast’s room.” He says, looking around. You grunt in acknowledgement and run your fingers over the delicate hyacinth petals. You close your eyes for a moment and murmur a soft prayer as you pluck a few of the blossoms from the stem.

 “What are those?” Hunk asks you as you set them on the tray next to the cookie platter.

 “Hyacinths. Purple ones are a way of asking for forgiveness.” You tell him.

 “Really?”

 “It’s a bit silly, but it’s something I had learned as a kid,” You pick the tray back up and lead him out the room. “But I figured if I can’t verbally tell Pidge I’m sorry, this could at least appease my conscious.”

 “They probably won’t know that’s what they’re for.” Hunk follows behind you as you head back to the study once more.

 “I don’t know, I have a feeling they’ll get it when it comes with the cookies.” You give him a smirk.

 “Maybe.” He nods in agreement.

        When you make it to the study, Thace seems to have left for the time being. Pidge is sitting alone at the farthest table, cheek resting against their fist. They look sad if you’re being honest. You did steal their friend away for a while so you can’t really blame them. You walk over to the table and clear your throat.

 “Hey.” You say. They slowly look up at you. Their eyes glance from you, to Hunk, and then back to the tray in your hands.

 “Hey.” They say, voice cracking a bit in the middle.

 “Um. Hunk and I made these for you.” You offer them the tray. By god this is the worst apology you’ve ever done. It feels awkward to you. They silently stare at the tray and back at you. Honestly you’re starting to think you messed up, when they snort and hide their smile behind their fist.

 “You mean Hunk made them.” They say.

 “He totally helped!” Hunk raises his hands.

 “Of course he did.”

 “You know if you don’t want them, you could just say so.” You hold the tray a bit closer to yourself teasingly.

 “Hell no. Give ‘em here.” They shoot up and try to take the tray from you. You laugh and set it on the table for them. They gratefully shove one of the cookies into their mouth. Hunk shakes his head, smiling, as he leans over and brushes the crumbs off their face.

 “You’re gonna make a mess like that.” He says.

 “Only once.” They reply.

 “Aww.” You coo. Hunk looks away and takes a seat across from Pidge, face turning a bit red.

 “Oh, by the way Lance, I looked at the books you had on the table. Interesting choices to be reading.” They eat their next cookie much slower. You briefly panic when you look over and notice the Quintessence book is still wide open.

 “It’s for uh research?” You say, though it sounds more like a question than anything.

 “What on?” Hunk asks as he leans back to look at them.

 “...The Beast.” You say after a minute. Hunk rocks forward on his chair and looks up at you with bright eyes. He turns to Pidge with the same enthusiasm.

 “So, you’re admitting the Beast is real then?” Pidge crosses their arms and leans forward on them. You sigh and take a seat next to Hunk.

 “Yeah. I um… I heard him last night.” You admit mimicking Pidge’s posture.

 “You heard him?” Hunk gasps.

 “What did you hear exactly?” Pidge follows up with.

 “I heard him say ‘Fuck’.”

 “So he _is_ capable of communication with us!” They pound their fist on the table.

 “You don’t know that yet, he could still be a mimic.” Hunk points out. Pidge groans and rolls their eyes.

 “You’re no fun.”

 “I don’t think he was mimicking. I kind of startled him?” You rub your arm

 “That’s a, point one for Pidge.” They stick their tongue out at Hunk and finish off another cookie.

 “Well, Lance’s room is right next to the Beast’s chambers.” Hunk says snatching a cookie for himself. Pidge looks at you with wide eyes.

 “Are you _really_ staying in the room next to him?”

 “Yeah, I am.” You admit.

 “Have you heard anything coming from there at night?” They ask you, biting into yet another cookie.

 “Actually, I haven’t. But that’s because there isn’t really a room there.” You rest your head on your palm.

 “What makes you say that?” Pidge asks.

 “Well, I opened the door and there’s just a wall there.” You shrug. They smirk and look over at Hunk.

 “Do you want to tell him or should I?” They ask.

 “Okay, so. Don’t tell King Shiro, but I took some samples of the stones used. Both behind the door and the ones on the wall near the door.” Hunk starts off.

 “And you won’t guess what we found out with it.” Pidge looks back at you.

 “Uh, what did you find?” You ask them.

 “The bricks behind the door are newer than the ones used to build the actual wall. Meaning, at one point, there was an entrance there that has recently been sealed off.” Hunk finishes a second cookie.

 “So, it’s an actual room then.” You murmur, mostly to yourself.

 “The only problem is that, there isn’t another way in really.” Pidge sighs.

 “At least not something safe. Because the only solution we’ve come up with is to try and scale the castle and get to the balcony attached to the Beast’s room.” Hunk sweeps the crumbs on the table into his hands and deposits them back onto the serving tray. You chew on your cheek for a moment.

 “Well… Okay, this is going to sound really dumb but like, at home the wings of the castle is mirrored. Wouldn’t it be the same for here?” You think out loud.

 “Probably, but I’m not sure where you’re going with this.” Pidge admits.

 “Okay so like, if it is a mirror, what lines up with the Beast’s room in the sister wing?” You look at them.

 “Good question.” Hunk says as he gets up and starts looking through the shelves in the study.

 “Do you think there’s blueprints of the architecture?” Pidge asks him.

 “It’s what I’m looking for.” He hums as he inspects long tubes. Pidge gets up and goes over to help him out. You follow suit and start peeking into them as well.

 “Oh! Here, here!” Hunk says pulling one of the tubes out and walking over to the table you were using earlier.

 “I found one too.” You mention, taking it with you.

 “Maybe one is from the original design?” Pidge looks at the two tubes.

 “Original?” You give them a questioning look as you pull out the papers and carefully lay them out on the table.

 “You had all those books and you didn’t read _that_ part about the castle?” They groan.

 “Give him a break Pidge, even I didn’t when I first skimmed them.” Hunk says taking his own papers out and laying them flat next to yours.

 “Lance, the original castle practically burned down to the ground. Several parts of the building had to be rebuilt and others simply fixed back up.” Pidge steps closer to the papers and looks them over.

 “That explains why that painting in the main hallway was burned in the corner.” You say, thinking back to how it had caught your attention.

 “Look at this, how the calligraphy is here versus here,” Pidge points out the differences on the pages. “This one is more of a modern script, but these here are more heavy-handed and tightly packed.”

 “So that’s the older one?” Hunk looks at the pages carefully as well.

 “Certainly looks older too.” You agree.

 “So this is the first floor for both. The beast’s room is on what, the fifth floor?” Pidge looks up at you for confirmation.

 “Well it’s where mine is, so yeah.” You agree. Hunk gently moves his papers until he finds the one with the fifth floor. You can see your room and Allura’s just down the hall. The space next to your room is blank, treated like a wall. It has the drawing uneven.

 “So it looks like it’s twin would be… Shiro’s room?” Pidge carefully touches the page. You look down at the older version and move it to the fifth floor as well. On this one, the missing room is visible, and makes the mirror complete. You can’t quite tell what is scrawled into the square that notates what the room is.

 “Definitely Shiro’s.” Hunk agrees, looking at the older map and comparing it to the more updated one. They both look up at you.

 “So what was the point of needing to know?” Pidge asks.

 “At home, rooms for the family have certain escape points.” You say looking over the older map and noticing a smaller rectangle with another illegible note within the Beast’s room. You tap the small arrow it has leading out of the box and out of the castle’s frame.

 “Like this.” You show them.

 “Meaning, there’s potentially another way in.” Pidge’s eyes light up.

 “As long as it also wasn’t sealed off.” Hunk reminds you both.

 “There’s only one way to find out.” You say as you look at the blueprints for the floor beneath it. Within another hard to read box, there is the second rectangle that lines up with the one above it.

 “What does this room line up with?” You ask as you tap the paper again. Pidge shuffles the modern blueprints and compares the two.

 “Gods above.” They mumble, eyes wide.

 “What?” Hunk asks.

 “It’s in this room.” They look up at you.

 “Seriously?” He compares the two maps and then blinks up at you again. “It really is.”

 “Then let’s find it.” You say with a smirk. Looks like you _will_ be getting into the Beast’s room after all.


	5. Subtle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings:  
> -Slight Paranoia  
> -Mild panic attack

        The first thing you do is check the bookshelves. Some of the secret passageways at home are behind false shelves that just need a bit of sliding. It however yields no results. Pidge starts to run their hands along the ground in case it actually goes down first. Hunk begins checking the walls, feeling for false bricks. At this point you are even trying to see if the blackboard itself is hiding anything.

        In the middle of all this Thace comes back to the room, Ulaz right behind him. They both give you three questioning looks. _Act casual,_ you tell yourself. Pidge immediately shoots up from their place on the ground.

 “Guys! I found them!” They shout, holding their glasses in the air like an honored prize.

 “O-oh! Good! I am _so_ glad you didn’t leave them over here!” Hunk rubs the back of his neck and avoids looking at Thace and Ulaz. You groan internally, because seriously? That was just bad. You walk over to the two of them and try to casually roll up the blueprints of the castle.

 “Do I want to know?” Thace asks with amusement in his eyes.

 “Know what? We were helping Pidge find their glasses.” You shrug. Sliding the originals back into their appropriate tube. Ulaz notices despite how careful you’re being.

 “And finding their glasses involves the castle’s designs?” He raises a brow.

 “I’m certain they were just doing some research on some new experiment.” Thace shrugs it off and goes over to his desk..

 “Exactly!” Pidge points with their glasses before sliding them back onto their face.

 “Should I be concerned about the castle’s safety?” Ulaz asks.

 “Nah man, it’s not like we’re gonna burn it to the ground or anything.” Hunk says with a sheepish smile.

 “That is not reassuring.”

 “Ulaz, relax, honestly you do too much for the castle itself.” Thace pouts at him. Ulaz gives you three one last look.

 “We’re fine. Honest. I was looking into the mythology of the area and the castle has a lot of mysteries.” You say holding up your hands. He flexes his jaw and then sighs.

 “I see. As long as you are safe.”

 “We will be.” You reassure him. Ulaz hums and gives you all a short bow. He gives Thace a fond look before turning on his heel and leaving.

 “Love you too!” Thace calls after him.

 “So, we’re not in trouble?” Hunk asks.

 “Oh no, I want to know what you three are up to.” Thace turns to face you and leans against his desk. He crosses his arms in front of him.

 “It’s nothing, we promise.” You say as you roll up the modernized blueprints of the castle.

 “Like Lance said, the castle has a lot of mysteries about it. Is it so wrong if we just wanted to see if we could solve one?” Pidge huffs.

 “That depends on the mystery.” Thace says. Well, you can't exactly tell him it’s about the Beast. You have no doubt that it would not go over well.

 “Um well…” Hunk starts. You give him a look. The poor fool can’t lie to save his life, that you have learned already.

 “It’s about this weird vibe I’ve been getting from the castle,” You sigh and dig your toe against the ground. “I just wanted to know what could have been the reason behind it y’know?” You pull your shoulders up and hunch over just a bit. You’ve set the bait, you’ll just have to wait and...

 “What kind of feeling is it?” Hook, line, and sinker. You got Thace pulled away from the two terrible liars and focused onto you.

 “It’s like a pull, a whisper, and no matter how much I ignore it I just can’t help but be beckoned by it.” You avoid his gaze and bring your arms around yourself. You aren’t exactly lying, but you are playing with a double edged sword here.

 “What do you mean?” Thace asks you, concern heavy in his gaze.

 “I think… No, I know, that I’m sensitive to Quintessence.” You start. Now you are playing too close to your heart.

 “You are?” Pidge asks you.

 “Yeah. But, that’s not quite all.” You choke out. Hunk comes over and rests his hand on your shoulder. You glance over at him and he gives you a small smile.

 “It’s okay buddy.” He tells you. You take a deep breath and look back over at Thace.

 “I can see things that I shouldn’t be able to.”

 “I see.” Thace hums “And you’re trying to figure out if it’s the castle making you see things or if it’s just a part of your Quintessence sensitivity?”

 “Exactly! I was comparing some of the weirder places I get these feelings from with the maps. Trying to correlate it anyway we could. Thankfully, these two happen to know a bit about some of the history of the castle.”

 “Ah, well, thank you for sharing with us. If that’s the case, I do have some books you can borrow. Both on major events in the castle and on Quintessence. If you’re interested that is?”  Thace gives you a kind smile. That… went way different than what you were expecting.

 “Uh… Yeah, actually. That’d be great.” You rub your arm, still thrown for a loop.

 “Remind me to find them for you after the study session.” He says as he pushes himself off of his desk. He walks over to the chalkboard.

 “Y-yeah.” You nod. You cast a look over at Hunk who gives you a thumbs up. You turn to Pidge who looks like they may have more questions for you. They click their jaw shut when Thace mentions that you all might want to write a few things down.

        You scamper off to the desk where Pidge had been sitting earlier. They are quick to hand you and Hunk a spare sheet of paper. You find yourself scribbling down quick notes as Thace writes things down on the board. He talks a bit about a test and answers questions you have on it’s subject material. It’s a lot quicker in it’s pace than the first class you sat in.

        In no time, Thace is wishing you all good luck on the test as he packs up his stuff. He brings you a few of the books he had mentioned earlier. You heave a heavy sigh and drop your head back against your chair. Hunk folds himself over the table and Pidge groans.

 “That felt eternal.” They rub their face.

 “Yeah man, and we’re no closer to finding where the secret passage is.” Hunk mumbles into his arms. You grunt in agreement and stare at the ceiling.

 “The maps show that it’s in here. There’s no way they could have replaced it. Not without some sort of obvious sign.” Pidge takes their glasses off and rubs at their temples.

 “Or they totally could and we just passed it over.” Hunk lifts his head up and rests his chin on the table. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. _If you were a hidden door, where would you be?_

        Distantly you are aware of Pidge talking, but you aren’t really listening any more. _Just feel the room around you,_ Veronica’s voice whispers in your head. You push that thought to the side and ignore the brief panic that seizes in your chest from it. You won’t get used to this if you don’t allow yourself to try. You remind yourself that you are in safe company.  

        You reach into yourself and tug gently at your Quintessence that you keep so tightly guarded. You draw it up and out of your body and let it spread out from you. You let yourself float there in the middle space, not quite in your body but not quite out of it either. Your Quintessence bumps gently against the things in the room and ripples back to you.

        To your left a soft and gentle yellow energy stands study against you. When you push it, it pulls away apologetically. You vaguely can hear Hunk ask some sort of question. It must be his Quintessence. To your right, there is a curious and excitable green energy that tries to wrap around you. If you push, it tries to draw you in, wanting to know what you are. It’s Pidge’s Quintessence without a doubt. Your lips quirk up in a smile.

        Several of the shelves genly pulse back at you with a glow. Most likely the result of the many hands and energies that touch them daily. What really draws your attention though, is a brilliant red tangled in webs of sickly purple and black on the ceiling. It’s jarring compared to the others. Not to mention completely out of place.

        When your Quintessence brushes against the webs you immediately feel sick to your stomach and pull back. It doesn’t stop it from sticking to you, which has you rather concerned. You don’t think it’d be wise to pull it back into your body. You don’t know what it would do to you really. You carefully try to reel your Quintessence back in, keeping the sticky webs as far from you as possible.

        You open your eyes and watch as the glows fade out of your vision. It doesn’t fade out entirely but it’s certainly much more subtle. You don’t know if that’s good or bad. Instead, you stare at the ceiling where the pulsing red energy was trapped and find a hatch. A fucking _hatch_. You sit up a bit straighter.

 “Was that you?” Pidge asks you.

 “Hmm?” You don’t take your eyes off the damn _hatch_.

 “That push of energy, was that you?” They clarify.

 “Yeah, sorry. I was just trying something out.”

 “Freaking us out?” Hunk mumbles. You wince.

 “That. Do you see that?” You point at the hatch. They both look over at where you’re pointing.

 “Is that…?” Hunk starts.

 “Only one way to find out.” Pidge says, getting up and walking over there. You look over at Hunk before scrambling over to the hatch as well.

 “I can’t believe it.” Hunk murmurs as he looks up at it, joining you two.

 “New question. How do we get up there?” You cross your arms.

 “We could push Thace’s desk over, have Hunk stand on it and then give me a boost up.” Pidge snaps their fingers.

 “Or how about, you know, we don’t do that. Just a suggestion on my behalf.” Hunk holds his hands up.

 “Yeah, I’m with Hunk on this one. It’s up higher than that. Besides, you don’t look like you’re strong enough to haul me up.” You gesture to Pidge’s arms. Hunk sighs and walks away from you two.

 “Okay smart-ass. What do _you_ suggest then?” They rest their hands on their hips.

 “Maybe we go find like, a long stick, and try to push it or pull it open.” You suggest.

 “A stick.” Pidge repeats.

 “Hey it’s better than stacking on top of each other!” You point at them. They go to say something, most likely snarky, when Hunk clears his throat. The two of you turn to face him.

 “Or we could use a ladder.” He says, giving the ladder in his hands a gentle shake.

 “Hunk you beautiful genius.” You say. The ladder itself normally rolls along the bookshelves but Hunk has pulled it off its track for you.

 “I… was totally going to mention that next.” Pidge looks away.

 “Guess I just beat you to it then.” Hunk chuckles and leans it against the wall.

 “Who goes up first then?” You ask.

 “Wait, wait, wait.” Hunk says, and walks back over to the table where you had left the cookies earlier. He pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and unties it.

 “What are you doing?” You ask him.

 “Packing a snack.” He says, putting two of the cookies into the handkerchief and tying it back up.

 “A snack?” You raise an eyebrow.

 “Yeah man. Like, when I get hungry, I get hangry. So I figured that if we run into the Beast we can just offer him some food if he’s not in a good mood. Just so he doesn’t eat us, you know?” He comes back over to you two and carefully puts the goods into his chest pocket.

 “I mean, I guess.” You shrug.

 “I call dibs on the first one up.” Pidge says, already halfway up the ladder.

 “Oh come one, that’s totally cheating!” You complain and hold the ladder in place. They reach for the handle and give it an experimental tug.

 “I don’t see the hinges on this side. Maybe it’s a push?” Hunk says squinting up at the hatch.

 “Oh yeah. My next plan was to grab it from the sides.” Pidge calls back down sarcastically. Hunk chuckles as they give the hatch a push and some dust falls down.

 “Gross.” You whine.

 “Harder.” Hunk suggests.

 “That’s what I said.” Pidge grunts and shoves harder at the hatch. Hunk is bright red again.

 “Is it?” You give Hunk a teasing look.

 “Shut up.” He hisses. You two snap your heads back up when you hear a sickening crunch. Pidge has successfully shoved it open and is waving dust away from their face.

 “What was that sound?” Hunk asks.

 “Probably the hinges. Who knows what gunk got trapped in ‘em.” Pidge put their hands inside and tries to peek in. You have a bad feeling settling in your gut.

 “Can you see anything?” Hunk tries to look from where he’s standing.

 “No, it’s really dark. It might be like a crawlspace?” Pidge says, lifting themselves up and into it.

 “Be careful!” You call out. You find yourself climbing up the ladder as well.

 “It’s _really_ dark.” They mumble. You peek your head into the opening and see that Pidge is barely illuminated by the light coming from the study. They seem to be standing comfortably though. They keep one hand pressed flat against the wall and shuffle forward to give you room to come up. You glance down the ladder and see Hunk holding it in place for you. You give him a small smile. He nervously shifts from foot to foot.

 “It’ll be okay.” You tell him, trying to reassure him even though the bad feeling in your gut is still there. You pull yourself up and press your hand to the walls like Pidge had. Your arms have to be folded in half to touch both, forearms flush against the grimy walls. You can’t even stand up fully due to the low ceiling either unlike Pidge.

 “See what I mean?” Pidge says.

 “No. No I can’t.” You gripe.

 “That’s the _point_.” You have a strong feeling they’re rolling their eyes. You try to give yourself time to adjust to the dim lighting, but nothing really changes.

 “It’s like a tunnel of some sort. I can’t tell how far it goes.” Pidge says.

 “Is it only one way?” You glance down the other side of the entryway.

 “Doubtful. But you’re welcome to go check if you want.” They grunt, voice getting a bit further away from you.”

 “I’m coming up!” Hunk calls in a panicked voice from down below. Poor guy must be getting worried about you two up here where he can’t see you.

 “Careful.” You warn him as you hear the ladder creak softly.

 “Oh geez, it _is_ super dark.” Hunk says as his head pops through the entryway. You turn back around to face him. His shoulders are nearly too broad to fit through. He backs out a bit and you watch him put an arm through, followed by his head again.

 “Hold on. This might take some finagling.” He says, doing his best to make space for his second arm. You walk back over to him and grab a hold of his hand that’s already through. He gives you a thankful smile.

 “Should I pull?” You ask him.

 “Nah just,” He leans back, trusting you to hold him as he frees his second arm. “There we go.” He sighs.

 “Is he okay?” Pidge asks from a bit farther down the small chamber.

 “Yeah, he’s good.” You call back. Hunk has to twist himself a bit to get in. He’s hunched over farther than you are and has to stand at an angle to fit, but he’s in.

 “Now what?” He asks.

 “Now we see where this goes.” Pidge says, hopefully waiting for you and Hunk to catch up.

        You tread lightly on the floor you can’t see. It’s dark enough that you can see the red glow from earlier. Granted it is absolutely smothered by the dark purple webs. You trace one of the lines with a finger and a chill runs down your spine. You need to leave. Now.

 “Anything?” Hunk asks Pidge.

 “Well, I found another wall.” They say. You hear them pat around the walls.

 “Please don’t tell me we gotta turn around.” Hunk groans.

 “Maybe there’s another hatch.” You say, slamming your hands into the ceiling. Out. You need out. You cannot stay here.

 “There’s nothing on the floor.” Pidge says.

 “Out. Out. Out.” You start mumbling as your fingers scrabble against the stones looking for another hatch. You can’t breathe and you need out.

 “Dude calm down.” Hunk says.

 “Can’t.”

 “I found it!” Pidge grunts as they slam against it. “Gods above, the heck is on this thing?”

 “Move.” You demand, shoving them out of the way.

 “Hey, watch it!” They cry out. You need out. You find the hatch and nearly recoil. More of the webs surround it. No, not webs, they’re more like cracks.

 “Fuck.” You shove harshly at the hatch with all your might. There’s a heavy weight on top of it.

 “Let me try.” Hunk says, scooting closer to you.

 “Hurry. I can’t breathe.” You tell him. There really isn’t that much room for you two but you make it work. You press yourself flat against the wall and ignore the shiver that keeps running down your spine from the black cracks. Hunk shoves hard at the hatch and you hear something tumble and crash onto the floor above you. You don’t care though and practically climb on Hunk to get out.

 “Easy man.” He says as he helps you up. You are out and crawling as fast as you can away from the entryway. Your heart is pounding in your chest as you desperately will your lungs to be steady. A large, warm hand rests on your back.

 “You okay?” Hunk asks as he crouches down next to you.

 “What happened?” Pidge steps to your other side.

 “I… I’ll be okay.” You push yourself off the ground and rest back on your knees.

 “Are you sure?” Hunk asks. You nod as you look up at the two of them.

 “Just, some really bad vibes in there.” You say.

 “Well, the good news is we’re out of there now. With the bonus of being in the Beast’s room.” Pidge looks around.

 “And the bad news?” You ask as Hunk helps you to your feet.

 “It’s this.” They gesture to the room. You finally take a look at your surroundings.

        Mostly everything is covered in a thick layer of dust. There are boxes upon boxes of miscellaneous items strewn about. There’s old paintings, some needing a good cleaning and others completely wrecked. There are papers, maps, letters, even drawings scattered on the floor. You can even identify a few sculptures and vases tucked away in the corners of the room.

 “It looks like a storage room more than anything.” You comment.

 “There’s so much dust, it’s activating my allergies.” Pidge kicks a few stray papers on the floor.

 “Pidge, you don’t have allergies.” Hunk looks over at them.

 “I might _develop_ some at this point.” They sigh. You walk over to one of the tall mirrors in the room. Most have had sheets thrown over them but the one next to the bed does not. You stand in front of it and stare at the large spider web crack in the glass. If you were taller, it’d line up with your face, which is a thought that unsettles your stomach.

 “I can’t tell if it’s this place that’s depressing, or if it’s just because the discovery is so underwhelming.” Pidge says, digging through one of the boxes.

 “My vote is on the place.” Hunk says as he makes his way over to the unused desk. You stare at your broken reflection. It’s not depression you feel leaking out from the walls, but a crushing loneliness. You turn away from the mirror and decide to keep your mouth shut about it.

 “We probably shouldn’t dig through this stuff. It could be important to the Beast.” You mumble, running your hand along the bed’s surprisingly clean sheets. Yet another red flag is raised. Someone changed these, or at the very least gets regular use out of the bed. In fact, the more you look around, it seems to be the only area that’s dust free and clean.

 “This just feels, sadder, the longer I’m here.” Pidge sighs and picks up some of the papers.

 “Yeah…” Hunk agrees running his fingers along some of the boxes.

 “Maybe we should leave?” You suggest, pulling your arms around yourself.

 “Ugh, but it’s right _here_!” Pidge tosses the papers into the air.

 “Well what do you suggest then? Hiding out in this room until the Beast shows up and capture him?” You ask them.

 “That’s not a bad idea. We could --” Pidge starts.

 “Nope.” Hunk cuts them off.

 “Hunk, come on.” They whine.

 “No. No way. We are _not_ going to capture the Beast.” He crosses his arms.

 “Okay, like. What if we had traps and such set up. Like if we came prepared. Would you allow it then?” Pidge mimics Hunk’s posture.

 “Maybe. But definitely not tonight. Besides, our families will be wanting us home soon and I don’t want to get eaten before seeing them one last time.”

 “I thought that’s what the cookies were for.” You say, gesturing to Hunk’s pocket.

 “Well, yeah. But that’s more of a temporary distraction. Also, staying here until who knows when, without any other food? Not to mention clean water? I’ll pass thanks. And so should you.” He gives both you and Pidge a look.

 “Spoil sport.” Pidge huffs but seems to accept the situation for now.

 “How about this, I’ll leave these here,” Hunk says walking back over to the desk. “And we can come back later and see if he likes them?” He sets the handkerchief on the edge.

 “Fine.” Pidge agrees as they walk back over to the hatch you had all entered in. Hunk makes his way back over to them and helps them drop down into the crawlspace once more. He looks over at you with a worried glance.

 “You coming?”

 “Yeah. Just need a sec to mentally prepare myself for it.” You say, not moving from the side of the bed. Hunk rubs at the back of his neck and looks around once more.

 “Pidge and I will get out of the way so you can just speed through. But if it takes you too long I’ll send them back up to check on you okay?” He says, starting to climb down.

 “Appreciate it buddy.” You tell him as you walk over. You offer him your hand to help keep himself steady as he wriggles his way down. He gives you a strained smile from inside the crawlspace. You sigh and run your fingers along the edge of the hatch.

        You really do not want to go back down there. A quick glance to where the door would be shows nothing but a wall. The only other way out would be potentially off the balcony. But you are not a skilled climber, nor do you have wings. You chew on the inside of your cheek and find yourself drawn to the heavy looking crate near the hatch.

        It had been toppled over on its side, contents spilling out across the messy floor. It must have been what was weighing the hatch down in the first place. You go to set it upright when you notice the amount of sigils carved onto the bottom. A large crack runs through one of them from the fall. Maybe it broke the connection it had.

        You reach out to trace it but hesitate. You should not be touching these. They are not yours after all. Instead, you right the crate like you had intended. You carefully scoop up the notes and set them back inside. These you find yourself tracing the letters and how they are made.

        The writing is a bit sloppy, and it’s written in a dialect you do not recognize. Based on how yellowed some of the pages are, you do not doubt it’s age. Some of the papers though are new, less yellow. These contain the same sloppy handwriting but the words are more familiar. They are by no means modern but they are words you understand.

 “How old are you Beast?” You murmur, reading over the clunky words that you only ever find on older temples. Some of the last sheets though have you really pause. These are written in words you very clearly understand. The handwriting has improved marginally but they are words you recognize entirely.

        You can’t help but put these ones all together. They are not date stamped nor are they marked for what order they go into. They vary by lengths and widths and thicknesses. You don’t find too many, most have already been shoved back into the crate you’d guess. A good chunk of it seems to be daily life things that you skim over.

        One of the pages however contains a spell. It’s simple and requires only a handful of items. You chew on your cheek and carefully fold it up, tucking it away in your pocket for now. You place the remaining papers back in the box and take a deep breath.

 “I’m coming down!” You shout into the dark crawlspace. When you hear no response, you drop down into it, pulling the hatch shut with you. You quickly make your way to the light from the study. You peek down and see that Hunk is holding the ladder in place and mumbling softly to Pidge. Ignoring the swell of paranoia that flutters around your ribs, you climb down the ladder.

 “Oh thank the Gods above.” Hunk sighs with relief.

 “We were starting to get a bit worried.” Pidge says as you hop off the ladder and turn to them.

 “Well, I’m safely here and in one piece. Don’t worry too much.” You cross your arms behind your head and smile brightly.

 “Yeah, no. Telling Hunk not to worry is like telling water not to be wet. It’s just not going to happen.” They shake their head.

 “Man, we are absolutely filthy.” Hunk groans, choosing to ignore Pidge’s comment. He pats off his shirt and makes a face at the dirt that comes off.

 “If you guys want, I have a shower you can use?” You offer.

 “Only because my mom will kill me if she sees me like this.” Hunk sighs.

 “Don’t suppose you could find us a change of clothes?” Pidge asks, looking down at their shirt as well.

 “All I have is my stuff. Which would be too big for you and too small for Hunk.” You shrug.

 “Too big is fine for me, I don’t mind.” Pidge squints as they take off their glasses and assesses how dirty they are.

 “What about you? Do you mind just chilling wrapped up in like a blanket while I ask the maids to wash your clothes?” You turn to Hunk.

 “If there’s no other option…” Hunk rubs the back of his neck.

 “I’m not gonna make you do something you’re not comfortable with dude,” You tell him. “If nothing else you can sit naked in the bathroom while Pidge and I sit close by while we wait.”

 “Maybe.” Hunk agrees.

 “For now though, let’s close that hatch and get the ladder back in place before anyone notices.” Pidge gestures with their chin.

 “Oh yeah, totally forgot about that.” You tap your palm against your head and turn back to the ladder. You quickly crawl up it and peer into the dark crawlspace once more. You shiver at the energy it still holds and pull the hatch shut.

        As soon as you’re off of the ladder, Hunk has it placed back where it belongs. You crack the study door open and check to make sure no one is coming. You wave back to the two of them and make the quick trip back to your room. It’s only slowed down by you stopping and looking around every corner to make sure it’s clear. It has you feeling like you’re leading some stealth mission in enemy territory.

        It helps immensely that Pidge and Hunk crack a few jokes on the way. It changes the feel from being spies looking for secrets to friends being silly. You usher them into your suite and pull the door shut behind you.

 “There is no way we were not seen.” Pidge snorts as they check out your room.

 “Oh we definitely were. But since you two are regulars and I’m a Prince, they probably won’t say anything.” You tell them as you walk to your closet and pull your dusty shirt off. You toss it aside.

 “You want first dibs on the sh-- What the fuck happened to your back!?” Pidge gasps.

 “Pidge, you can’t ask people that!” Hunk whines.

 “Huh?” You look at the two of them over your shoulder before it clicks. “Oh, that.” You twist a bit to see the large burst shaped scar across your upper back.

 “You don’t have to answer that.” Hunk tells you. You shrug and slip your bathrobe on.

 “My dad had made a deal with someone and people reacted.”

 “What do you mean?” Pidge tilts their head.

 “I mean there was an assassination attempt. They clearly failed since I’m still here.” You pull out a pair of pants and a shirt for Pidge to change into.

 “How can you say that so calmly?” Hunk frowns.

 “It happens sometimes. Usually they’re more of a threat than a reality. And to be fair, I wasn’t the actual target.”

 “Then who was?” Pidge asks as you hand them the clothes.

 “Isn’t it obvious? My dad’s the one who messed up. They wanted to get him. I just had this… feeling that something wasn't quite right in one of the rooms and pushed him out right in time.”

 “A feeling? Or something more?” They take the clothes from you.

 “...I don’t know for sure anymore if I’m being honest.” You sigh and rub your shoulder.

 “Did it hurt?” Hunk asks as you look for a blanket for him.

 “Oh yeah, hurt like a bitch when I came to. But I didn’t feel the initial pain. Realistically, I shouldn’t have survived. Everyone called it a miracle.” You hand Hunk one of the larger blankets you find in a cabinet. He takes it quietly.

 “After that is when my sensitivity to Quintessence quadrupled.” You find yourself murmuring.

 “Seriously?” Pidge raised an eyebrow.

 “Maybe not exactly quadrupled but like, before I could see small things. Things like a few fae folk and small spirits. After… I could see other’s Quintessence, hellhounds, things of nightmares,” You shake your head. “I try to keep it suppressed as much as possible. Trust me _seeing_ clearly is not nice nor fun.”

 “But what would have caused a change in your sensitivity like that? Was it the near death experience?” Pidge begins theorizing.

 “Not quite.” You give them a strained smile. This is starting to get into dangerous territory.

 “Then?”

 “Pidge.” Hunk warns.

 “It wasn’t a miracle that saved me. It was my sister.” You bring your arms around yourself.

 “Was she secretly a good doctor?” Pidge asks. You shake your head.

 “She healed me yeah, but not like a doctor would. She um… She was rather sensitive to Quintessence too. She took it upon herself to learn about it and she was getting really good at manipulating parts of it.” You tighten the hold you have on yourself.

 “That’s super cool! Think we could have her come be a special guest of Thace’s one day?” Pidge asks with bright eyes.

 “She’s dead, Pidge.” You say softly.

 “Oh. Lance, I’m sorry. I didn’t --”

 “It’s… It’s okay,” You close your eyes and take a deep breath. “Who’s going in the shower first?” You try to change the subject.

 “Well I mean we could just rock, paper, scissors it?” Hunk suggests, taking your subject change seriously.

 “You two can go first, It’ll give me time to go find a maid and give them your clothes to wash.” You manage a weak smile.

 “Are you sure?” Pidge asks.

 “Yeah man, Hunk can shower and you just change out and I can go take them.”

 “What about you?” Hunk asks.

 “I can shower later, don’t worry.” You wave it off as you step towards your door to go look for a maid.

 “Alright…” He frowns but makes his way to your bathroom. You nod one last time at Pidge and close the door behind you. You run your hands through your hair and sigh deeply. _You’re fine_ , you chant over and over again in your head.

        You pick a direction and start walking, bound to run into a staff member eventually. You do find a very nice young lady who scampers off to get you an actual maid for the laundry. When the maid returns you lead the way back to your room by their side.

 “I’m coming in.” You announce as you knock on the door. The maid gives you a confused look but says nothing. You open the door and find Pidge is standing right there with the clothes in their arms.

 “Here.” They try to hand it to you.

 “First of all, a basket would probably be nice to put it in. Secondly, did Hunk already finish?” You ask walking in and noticing that their hair is damp and dripping onto their new shirt.

 “Yeah.” They say. You go to ask where Hunk is when you open the closet door and find him on the other side. He’s wrapped up in the blanket you had given him earlier but he looks beet red.

 “I uh, heard you knock and I didn’t want to be indecent around the maid.” He explains as you look him over. You are temporarily distracted by his very strong looking arms until Pidge clears their throat.  
  


 “Oh uh, right. Can you hand me that basket?” You gesture to the one next to him. Hunk nods and hands it over to you. You in turn step out of the closet and Pidge dunks the clothes into it. You hand the basket to the maid, who curtsies and walks away. When you turn back around Pidge is also looking Hunk over and Hunk is steadily getting redder.

 “Should I give you two a moment?” You tease.

 “Lance!” Hunk wails.

 “For what?” Pidge raises an eyebrow.

 “I mean, just don’t make a big mess in my closet. I’ll go ahead and take that shower now instead.” You say, grabbing a pair of pajamas and saluting the pair.

 “Lance, seriously!”

 “Just looking out for you my bro.” You wink and slip into the bathroom. You close the door behind you with a chuckle when you hear Hunk whine again.

        You rinse off quickly, mostly wanting to get the dust off than anything else. Your skin still feels sticky from whatever that bad energy was. You also make a mental note to fish the spell you took out of your pocket and stash it away before Hunk or Pidge find it. You rest your hands against your face as the water runs down your body.

        You step out before the water gets too cold and dry yourself off. You stare at your reflection in the mirror for a second. You look a bit worn out and tired, but not too bad. It’s been a long day. You can hear a new third voice in your room which inspires you to get dressed quickly and step out.

 “Romelle! Hey!” You wave as you step out. She turns away from Pidge to face you.

 “Who is this?” She asks accusingly. You are confused for a moment before realizing what it probably looks like.

 “I take it you haven’t seen the naked guy in my closet yet huh?”

 “A what!?” Romelle starts walking over to your closet.

 “Romelle, please, wait. They just wanted to borrow the shower. A science experiment gone wrong got very messy.” You step in front of her and block the way.

 “You know what this looks like right?” She gives you a look.

 “I know.”

 “Normally I’m protecting Princess Allura from making these kinds of mistakes. Don’t tell me I have to keep an eye out for you too.” Romelle crosses her arms.

 “It’s like Lance said, science experiment gone wrong.” Pidge says.

 “Did they just call you ‘Lance’?” Romelle looks at you.

 “They’re friends, I’m not going to make them call me ‘Prince’.” You cross your arms as well.

 “Oh you are going to get into so much trouble here, I can just tell.” She presses a hand to her face.

 “That would be my problem then, wouldn’t it? Besides shouldn’t you be with Allura right now, making sure she isn’t alone with the King?” You tell her.

 “They are being watched by Coran. I was sent to come see if you were wanting to join us for dinner. But I can see you have _other_ plans.” Romelle gives you a look. Hunk peeks out of the closet, still wrapped up in his blanket.

 “Seriously?” She looks over at him and then at you.

 “It’s not like that. I already said --”

 “Look, I’ll have someone send some food up for you… three. I’ll tell Allura that you’re busy studying and can’t join.” Romelle cuts you off.

 “Thanks.” You say quietly. She shakes her head and sighs.

 “Just be careful alright?” She says softly before stepping out of the room.

 “Well, that was embarrassing.” Hunk says.

 “Tell me about it.” You groan.

 “Does she think we were --”

 “Yes. Yes she does.” You whine and cover your face.


	6. Venom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings!
> 
> -Some self harm  
> -Suicidal thoughts  
> -Mentions of suicide
> 
> Please be warned before continuing! This all occurs at the end of the chapter, from “Oh I doubt it. You two are awfully similar you know.” to the end of the chapter.

        Thankfully for Hunk, the maids show up soon after with his cleaned clothes. He happily gets dressed in your closet before stepping out and joining you and Pidge on your bed. Pidge is more than content to stay in your clothes and you aren’t about to force them to change. Another set of staff members come in with tonight’s meal.

        True to her word, Romelle did get three plates sent up for you and your guests. You do suppose you should thank her. Hunk very slowly eats his, telling you about the seasonings used and how it was cooked. Pidge meanwhile just inhales it. You are ninety percent sure they didn’t even bother to chew their food.

        Eating with them is comforting and you enjoy their company. You’re almost disappointed when they have to leave. You followed them all the way down and out of the castle where the carriage was waiting.

 “We should totally have a sleepover.” You say.

 “Definitely,” Hunk agrees instantly. “I’ll just make sure to bring an extra change of clothes next time.”

 “It’d be fun, yeah.” Pidge smiles. Hunk helps them into the carriage. You wave goodbye to them as it pulls away. When it’s finally out of sight you go back inside. You draw your bathrobe a bit tighter around yourself to protect you from the cold hallways.

        You linger again in front of the painting with the burned corner. Although you are not an expert on the arts, you can date this painting based on it’s thick brushstrokes and heavy pigmented colors. You compare it to the ones you have at home with softer hues and more natural poses. Perhaps King Shiro could tell you who these people were if you asked him.

        Blowing the hair out of your face, you decide to leave that for another day. Instead you head back to your room. You slip under the covers of your bed and let the exhaustion from the long day wash over you. When you close your eyes you can still see the black and purple webs stuck to your Quintessence.

        It does seem to be fading out slowly, which you are thankful for. You let the calming blue glow of your Quintessence lull you to sleep. You dream peacefully, bound to forget the images come morning’s light. You’re content and cozy.

_Bang!_

        And now you are awake. You jolt upright in your bed, clutching the sheets tight to your chest. _Thud!_ You slip out of your bed and creep toward the sounds. You chew on your cheek when it leads you to the wall that you share with the Beast’s room. You place your ear against the wall. _Crack!_ You pull away quickly.

        He’s not happy. You wonder what happened to make him so upset. It sounds like he’s tearing up his room.

 “Is it because we were in there?” You whisper, thinking out loud. You can hear more crashes of items hitting the floor or the walls. You frown and press your hand against the wall.

 “I’m sorry… I didn’t know you’d get so upset.” You mumble. The sounds stop so suddenly that you think he might have heard you through the walls. You hold your breath and flinch when you hear a final thud, much softer than the ones before.

 “Tap three times if you can hear me.” You rest your head against the wall. Nothing. You are met with silence. What would have made him stop throwing a fit?

 “The cookies,” You chuckle. “Guess Hunk knew what he was talking about.” You shake your head. The silence stretches on and your head is bobbing before you know it.

        You crawl back to your bed and decide to peek in the room in the morning. You curl up under your blankets and get comfortable once more. Your mind blanks out and you fall back to sleep. Your dreams are more eventful this time around.

        When you wake up this time it’s due to the afternoon sun hitting you in the face from your balcony windows. You groan and roll over, trying hard to get just a bit more sleep. However, a nagging feeling you have keeps you up. With a huff, you throw off your blankets and get up.

        The nagging feeling that you are forgetting something only grows stronger while you get dressed for the day. What is it that you’re forgetting to do? You stare at your reflection in the vanity mirror. Slowly your eyes drift over to the flowers you had gotten yesterday.

        Of course! That’s what it must be! You wanted to check the Beast’s room by yourself now. First things first though, you go over to your clothes from yesterday that you hadn’t placed in the basket. You pull out the slip of paper you had borrowed from the Beast. You tuck it away in one of your astronomy books. It should be safe there, considering it’s a well-loved older edition that waxes poetic about the stars rather than the sciences behind it.

        With that squared away, you slip out of your room and sneak down to the study. You are a bit confused as to the lack of staff wandering about the halls as they usually do. You shrug it off. You peek your head into the study and are relieved to see there’s no one in there.

        You go over to the ladder Hunk had moved for the three of you the day before. It takes you a lot of jiggling before you are able to pull it off of it’s track. It’s also way heavier than you were expecting. Hunk made it seem so light.

        You prop it against the wall and look up at the hatch. Unlike before, no one will be here to hold the ladder and keep it from falling. You glance over your shoulder and stare at the door to the study. If anyone walks in and sees the ladder here instead of where it should be, they might move it. You had been lucky yesterday, will you be just as lucky today?

        That you are unsure of.

 “C’mon, don’t be a wuss.” You goad yourself. You crawl up the ladder and shove the hatch open. It’s just as dark and creepy as it was yesterday. With a deep breath you climb in and, even though your brain screams not to, you close the hatch. You crouch in the tunnel and ignore the panic that threatens to seize you.

        You make your way quickly to the other hatch and shove it open. You haul yourself up and out. You take a moment to calm yourself back down before looking up and at the room. It’s certainly messier than it was before. You frown at the broken vase near your feet.

        The Beast must have really been upset. You sigh and kneel down to pick up the shards. Once you have them all gathered you find an empty crate to toss them into. You start to gather the papers scattered on the floor and shove them into another box full of papers. For the next hour or so you spend time picking up a bit.

        You set boxes and crates upright and put things back in them. You shuffle the smaller paintings over to the larger ones. You place books onto the shelves. You find a stack of blank papers and carry them to the desk. There you notice Hunk’s handkerchief is still there, untied and empty save for a small scrap of paper. You pick it up and notice it’s a note.

_Thank you._

_-K_

        Your mouth goes dry as you read and re-read the note over and over again. Your hands shake and you set it back where you found it. Even though you had found the Beast’s notes on the floor, taken one of its spells, received flowers as an apology, it’s this note that really makes it sink in. The Beast is intelligent, sentient, and capable of communication. You knew it but it still shakes you to your core.

        The Beast knew you had visited the room. He knew that the cookies were an act of kindness. He knew that the polite and nice thing to do was to thank you. He knew you would come back. You run your hands through your hair as you try to fully process this. This is so much more advanced than a mimic.

        You walk out to the balcony and lean against its railing, staring down at the gardens below you. You take a deep lungful of the fresh air. You take another. You take a third to really settle your nerves back down. When you feel like you’re no longer going to unravel you finally look up and out to the horizon. The sun should be setting here soon you realize.

        The view is just like the one from your room, only it is shifted to the right. Considering it’s next to your room, you aren’t that surprised. If you look to the left you can see where your room is. The gap between your balcony and the Beast’s is far too big to be able to jump or climb across. You can see the other balcony and that’s pretty much it. Even your stony friend is hard to make out from here.

        You turn and look up at the roof. Your eyes catch on the heavy scratches along the tiles. Some are shallow scrapes while others are huge gouges in the material.

 “The Beast has claws. Duly noted.” You say to yourself as you look at them. He must move along here a lot then, but again it _is_ his room. His room that he very much owns and claims as his. A room you really shouldn’t be playing in.

        You step back inside and leave the door open. It allows a gentle wind to blow through and clear some of the staleness in the air. You shake your head and look about. It’s now significantly cleaner, but there’s still piles of junk everywhere. An organized chaos if you will.

        You go over to the broken mirror by the side of the bed. You carefully pick up the few remaining glass shards on the ground. You toss them into the box with the shattered vase. As you pat your hands off above it, a smaller shard of glass decides to bite at your hands. You hiss and pull them close to your face.

        You pull the shard out with another soft hiss and head for the bathroom. Knowing your luck it would get horribly infected with something and you’d lose your hand. You knock on the wooden door frame of the bathroom to counter the thought.

 “Oh my god, what is with you and mirrors!?” You yell as you see the bathroom mirror in pieces, mostly on the floor. You shuffle in, trying your best not to step on anything and make your injury list add up. You turn on the faucet and run your hands under the cold water. The cut doesn’t look nearly as bad now that it’s been cleaned off.

 “Seriously man, you have got to learn to clean up after yourself.” You murmur as you nudge the glass. The Beast has so many years of bad luck you just know it. Honestly, if you knew how much of this shit was on the floor you would have brought a broom.

        You step out and start looking for one in this place. There has to be at least one that was tossed away in here. You do find one propped up over by where the door should be. You sigh gratefully and wrap you hand around its handle. A wave of _bad, no, put it down_ hits you the second you touch it.

 “What the…?” You twist it around and find your fingers brushing along sigils carved into the wood. A small frown tugs at your lips and you set it back where you found it.

 “Sorry, didn’t know you were a special broom.” You apologize to it. The negative feeling you had gotten from it falls off of you. You try to find another broom but to no avail. You groan and rub your temples.

 “This is ridiculous. I am in here, cleaning the Beast’s fricken room. The guy is more than capable of doing it himself, but _no_. It’s not like he even asked! So there is absolutely no reason I should be getting upset,” You start pacing back and forth as you rant to yourself. “So what if I can’t find a broom? So what if this place is only marginally better than it was before? What am I supposed to do? Nothing. Nothing is what.” You heave a deep sigh and run your fingers through your hair.

        A quick glance down at your hand shows you that it’s still sluggishly bleeding out. You don’t have the slightest clue as to where the Beast would keep any sort of bandages. Or if he even has any. Maybe you should head back to your room and dress it up properly.

         You hear a sudden sharp whistle followed by a pop from outside. It has you jumping up five feet into the air. You place your uninjured hand to your chest to calm your heart back down.

 “What was that?” You murmur as you head back over to the balcony. There seems to be a large gathering of people down in the gardens now. Another whistle goes off as a small rocket launches into the air and pops in an explosion of color. You furrow your brow, as you rack your brain for what is going on. It hits you with the full force of a boar running into you.

 “The welcoming party!” You gasp. You had completely forgotten all about it. You pull away from the balcony and rush over to the hatch. You waste no time hopping down and pulling it shut. You crawl quickly through the tunnel and pull up the second hatch. You are relieved to find the ladder is still in place.

        You climb down it and pull the second hatch door shut. You struggle with the ladder for a few moments too many for your liking before it’s aligned back on its track. You race to the study door and yank it open.

 “Prince Lance!” Someone gasps.

 “Fuck!” You shout as you plow right into Coran by accident. The older man grunts as he hits the floor with you. You shoot back up and help him to his feet.

 “I am _so_ sorry!” You say.

 “Where on the Goddess’s green Earth have you been?” He asks instead. “We’ve been looking for you for hours!” He grabs you by the arms.

 “I overslept?” You say, sounding more like a question than anything. He shakes his head.

 “You are absolutely _filthy_. Were you taking a nap in a spider’s web?” Coran starts hauling you away from the study.

 “Oh yeah, with my good friend Charlotte.” You roll your eyes.

 “This is not the time for jokes, Prince.” Coran says. He starts to push you towards your room.

 “I know, I know. I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit, jeez.”

 “Go get changed and for heaven's sake shower. I’ll let the others know you’ve been found and you’ll be with us shortly.”

 “The gardens, right?”

 “Yes. I’ll be right by the door to get you over to Princess Allura and King Shiro.” He straightens out his own outfit and pats off the dust you had brushed onto him.

 “I’ll be quick, I promise.” You tell him and dart off to your room.

 “Better be!” Coran calls out after you.

 _How could you have forgotten all about the party?_ You curse at yourself under your breath. You are quick to scrub the dust and grime off your body. You find the outfit that the house staff had brought in for you to wear who knows how long ago. With minor difficulty you get it on. You slide over to your vanity and dress the wound on your hand.

        Finally you grab the small pot of paint and a brush and pull it closer. With a practiced ease you quickly paint on the small blue marks on your cheeks, just under your eyes. It’s an Altean tradition during parties and festivals. Your mother had taught you about it in a way to keep her culture alive with you. Normally, you’d paint on Allura’s pink ones while she does yours. You feel pretty bad for not being able to do them for her tonight.

        You do a quick once over on your appearance. It reminds you of the formal wear that you’d wear in Altea. It’s in shades of blues and whites but has a darker tone than your Altean ones. You slip your circlet on your head and situate it where it feels most comfortable. You look like a strapping young prince now.

        You straighten your clothes out one last time and scamper off down the halls. Coran grabs you right outside the gardens. He guides you over to where Allura and Shiro are standing. Allura glances over her shoulder and you can see the relief wash over her face. You give her a sheepish smile and stand next to her.

 “Where were you?” She asks once you’re close enough.

 “Sleeping.” You say.

 “I was beginning to think the castle swallowed you whole.” Shiro jokes. Allura gives him a look which he shrugs off.

 “Well, as you can see, I am here and fine.” You gesture to yourself. Shiro reaches for your hand automatically.

 “What happened?” He asks as his fingers run over the bandage wrapped around it.

 “I… tripped? Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing serious.” You pull your hand close to yourself.

 “Lance.” Allura whines softly.

 “Are you sure?” Shiro asks.

 “Positive.” You say, crossing your arms behind your back. The two of them both look like they have more to say to you but you are interrupted by a nobleman. Shiro smiles warmly and introduces him to you and Allura. They exchange idle chit-chat like they probably have been doing this whole time. You have no doubt you will have to be introduced to some of the people they’ve talked with earlier.

        You don’t really pay too much attention when the next few people come up to greet you three. You at least say hello back, but you don’t participate in the discussions. The topics are more geared towards the soon to be married couple anyway. Your mind wanders and when it does, the slow pulse of everyone’s Quintessence starts becoming visible to your eyes.

        Allura’s you notice, is a soft pink. When you brush yours against hers, she turns to face you and she pushes back against you gently. You give her a smile and nod to answer her quirked brow. _Yes, that's me_ , you think as you playfully nudge against her Quintessence again. She smiles and shakes her head, returning to the conversation she was having with a duchess.

        You have to do a double take when you see Shiro’s. Your first thought at seeing the purple glow is the dark, sickly webs that line the tunnel to the Beast’s room. When you gently brush against his, you are pushed back hard. It’s a very solid no and for a moment you could have sworn you felt a jolt of fear.

 “Sorry, Shiro.” You say as the duchess leaves. He looks over at you, shoulders tense.

 “What for?”

 “That was me.” You say as you poke gently at his Quintessence again. While he doesn’t push you back as hard as before, it’s still a solid push away from him. When it retreats back it leaves a hint of curiosity behind this time.

 “I didn’t know you could do that.” He says.

 “Allura’s better at it than I am.” You shrug.

 “I haven’t felt your Quintessence like that since we were children. I take it you’re starting to accept your gift?” Allura asks.

 “The jury is still out on whether or not it’s a gift.” You say, shifting from foot to foot.

 “I’d recommend being careful practicing with it right now. There are some people here who are a bit sensitive to it.” Shiro advises.

 “Like the ‘being able to feel it’ sensitive or the ‘burn the witch’ sensitive?” You ask, already trying to reel it back in. There’s still the last remains of the webs stuck to you that you leave out for now.

 “Mainly in the ‘feel it’ category.” He says.

 “I’ll keep it under control, don’t worry.” You promise as another wave of guests approach you three. Shiro gives you a thankful look and turns his attention back to the guests.

        Again the conversations are mostly directed to Shiro and Allura. It allows you to look out at the gardens and appreciate how they are decorated. You do feel a pair of eyes on you and when you glance for them your eyes are drawn to the castle. Perhaps it’s the Beast watching the party. You can’t help but frown at the thought of the guy wanting to join in but being unable to.

 “--nce. Lance!” Allura shakes your arm suddenly.

 “Hmm?” You look over at her. “I’m sorry, what?”

 “Lady Iqra, was asking you something.” Allura gestures to the woman in reference.

 “I do apologize for my rudeness madam, but I’m afraid my mind was elsewhere. Could you perchance repeat your question?” You give her a small bow.

 “I had simply asked when would you be wed?” She asks. _Oh._ It’s not a question you had really thought too much on. You had forgotten it would happen in order to take your father’s place without question.

 “I suppose, the day my father decides on a suitress for me.” You give Lady Iqra a strained smile.

 “Does he not have a list for you to go through?” She gives you a curious look. It sparks a flicker of annoyance in you.

 “I hardly know what my father is up to most of the time. If there is a list, I have not seen it.” You wrap your uninjured hand around your wrist behind your back. You have to keep a strong grip on your tongue to keep your tone in check.

 “Shouldn’t you know? You are the Prince aren’t you?”

 “I have been away from home for quite some time.” You start to squeeze your wrist.

 “What for?”

 “Personal matters.” You measure your breaths carefully.

 “Personal matters? But you have a kingdom to answer to, don’t you?” She gives you a disapproving look.

 “He is learning about his allies at the moment. He has been spending quite a bit of time in Altea with me and has strengthened our alliance.” Allura cuts in before you can say anything. Lady Iqra smiles sweetly at Allura.

 “Oh I see. I was worried.”

 “You have nothing to worry about. Prince Lance is very dependable.” Allura says.

 “Someone who is dependable is not late to their own party.” A new voice adds in.

 “Lady Honerva. What a pleasant surprise.” Shiro says with a tense smile. Lady Iqra quickly curtsies and leaves you with Lady Honerva.

 “You shouldn’t lie King Shirogane.” She gives him a cold look. She’s wearing a dark red dress and has her grey hair pulled up into a tight bun. She has red marks that are styled like an Altean’s usually are but it runs down her face in a way that sets you on edge. Maybe it’s due to it looking like it’s out of a history book.

 “I had not known you would be coming tonight is all.” Shiro doesn’t let it baffle him.

 “I hadn’t planned on it either. At least until I heard who we were welcoming,” She turns to you and Allura. “I was not aware you would be here my princess.” Lady Honerva curtises politely. Your gut coils around itself when she looks at you.

 “Well, I am to marry the King. We thought it best to meet some of the people we would be working with.” Allura steps closer to Shiro.

 “I see. And are you happy to be with him, your highness?”

 “Very much so.”

 “It brings me joy to hear so.” Lady Honerva smiles. It does nothing to alleviate the coldness to her face. She turns her full attention to you and every fiber of your being screams at you to run. You stand there instead, like you’re expected to, and hold your Quintessence tightly in place.

 “And you are Prince Lance, I presume?”

 “Yes I am.” You reach for her hand and bring it to your lips. It’s wrong, it feels wrong on so many levels. You glance down at her hands and notice the dark, sickly, purple of her Quintessence. You flinch and she notices.

 “Are you okay Prince?” She smiles too sweetly.

 “Uh, y-yeah.” You go to cross your arms behind your back again.

 “You’ve been injured.” She points out.

 “Just tripped is all, I’m a bit clumsy.” You whisper, leaning towards her as if telling her a secret.

 “Perhaps if you didn’t overdo it with your Quintessence, you would not be.” She leans back.

 “I don’t know what you mean.” You say with a smile plastered to your face.

 “I know Princess Veronica had been quite sensitive to it, and that is not something one shares alone. A strength like that is inherited by blood.”

 “Well, sadly you are mistaken.” Your guts freeze inside of your body.

 “Oh I doubt it. You two are awfully similar you know.” Lady Honerva takes a step closer to you.

 “What are you talking about?” You back away from her, keeping the space between you two.

 “I have felt her Quintessence. A bright blue, like yours.”

 “How do you…”

 “You should be careful Prince Lance.” Lady Honvera smiles and grabs your wrist. You try to pull it away and shake your head.

 “It would be quite a shame for you to head down the same road as she had.” She pouts. Your blood freezes.

 “Lady Honerva, that is quite a sensitive topic.” Allura tries to cut in.

 “I’d hate for you to _trip_ and hurt yourself again.” Lady Honerva continues on, running her nails along your wrist in a way that makes your arm _itch_.

 “I…” You try to say anything to defend yourself. You look over at Allura and Shiro for help. Allura frowns and Shiro mainly looks tense.

 “Lady Honerva, please.” Shiro cuts in.

 “I recommend you check the young man’s room for rope.” She looks at him. Your throat tightens and your head spins.

 “Rope? What for?”

 “Surely to keeping him from being clumsy enough to get one tangled around his neck.” She says. You try to pull your arm away from her again. You don’t want to think about it. She pulls you closer to her.

 “I know it’s all _your_ fault too,” She hisses into your ear. “You might as well have kicked the chair out from under her feet.”

 “Stop!” You finally pull yourself free. You stumble backwards. Her Quintessence sticks to your arm. You can see the lines she made in your skin with her nails. You wonder if it’s a band around your throat too. Your hands come up and try to brush it off your arm. You dig your nails into the skin and it leaves red welts behind.

 “Oh dear, it may be too late for the poor boy.” Lady Honerva sighs. Allura stands in front of you for a moment, you think she asks you if you’re okay but all you can hear is static.

 “Need a minute.” You choke out as you turn and leave the party. You ignore Coran who tries to ask you what’s wrong. You march straight for your room. All the while you feel eyes on your back, watching your every move.

        You slam open your bedroom and balcony doors. You cling tightly to the railing and lean as far over it as you can. You could be clumsy and let go, _trip_ and fall right over the edge. _Do it, do it, do it_ a dark distorted voice in your mind whispers.

 “What do you think? Should I just do it?” You ask the gargoyle on your railing. God you’re just talking to a stone statue.  


 “No, you shouldn’t.” It replies. You choke on a sob.

 “I… I just. I don’t want to end up like _she_ did.”

 “She who?” It asks. You pause and wipe at your eyes. Had your stoney friend not been paying attention to you?

 “Veronica.” You tell it.

 “Who the hell is Veronica?”

 “My sis--” You turn to look at the gargoyle on the railing and find there is another, much larger, creature standing beside it. Your words catch in your throat. The Beast is standing on your balcony.

 “Uh… Hi.” He waves. You do the most reasonable thing anyone would do in this moment. You scream.


	7. That Which Goes Bump In The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: oops just noticed this was rated T, this fic should have been an M and that's my bad! Henceforth this Fic will have an M rating do to some of the cursing involved, topics touched on, and future events. Hope y'all continue to enjoy tho!

        You scream and cling tightly to the railing. The Beast quickly lunges towards you, his wings spreading out.  _ No! Fuck this! _ You try to crawl up onto the railing in a last ditch effort to escape from him. The Beast grabs you by one of your arms and covers your mouth.

 “Why are you screaming!?” His voice cracks mid sentence in panic. You stare, wide-eyed at him, breathing sharply through your nose.  _ You are so fucking dead. _ You watch as his wings settle back down and wrap around his shoulders like a cloak.

 “Are you gonna scream if I let go?” He asks. You shake your head rapidly to appease him. He considers you for a moment longer before uncovering your mouth.

 “Holy shit, you’re real.” You say. He’s real, and big, and  _ very _ purple, and all kinds of warning bells echo in your head. 

 “Very real,” He glances down at your arms and frowns before looking up at you. “Are you okay?” Something about his question makes you feel  _ strange _ . That distorted voice of yours is still chanting at you to hurl yourself over the balcony railing. You are seriously considering it to be a more viable option now. You tug your arm away from the Beast.

 “I’m fine.” You snap.

 “Liar.” He grumbles and grabs your arms again. You try to pull them back but his grip is firm.

 “Let go.” Your voice waivers.

 “Stop squirming, let me help you.” He hisses.

 “What are you talking about?” You tug again, trying desperately to escape. He sighs and holds your wrists with one of his hands, a feat you find to be horrifying. You watch him reach for your arm and pull lightly at your Quintessence. Your first thought is to shove it all at him, but you watch as he pulls off the sticky webbing Lady Honerva had left on you. It’s a weird feeling to have it removed. Like someone pulling a loose hair off of your skin.

 “What are you doing?” You ask as you watch.

 “Someone planted something evil on you and it was starting to take root.” He pulls another section of the webbing off. You watch as it curls up in his hands as if it were burned.

 “Oh.” You say.

 “Probably is what had you about to jump.” The Beast mumbles as he pulls another web off. This one though has resistance to it, one that you can feel tug at the core of your being. It makes his frown deeper.

 “What?” You ask.

 “It’s attached to a thought you carry with you,” He sighs and looks at you. “It might hurt to remove the last bit.”

 “Okay…” You nod weakly. You watch him wrap his clawed fingers around the web and  _ pull _ . Your knees give out immediately as you yelp in pain. When you look up you catch the web knotted thickly around itself, before it curls up and vanishes in his red Quintessence.

 “You okay?” The Beast asks, pulling you back up. You nod and then realize how much  _ bigger  _ he is compared to you. You have to look  _ up _ at him, barely reaching his mid chest.

 “It looks like your other arm is fine.” He murmurs as he runs his hand along your sleeve. You shiver at the contact, his skin feels as cold as stone through the fabric.

 “You’re really real.” You whisper, a wave of awe hits you. He is real, he is big, he has wings and horns, and strange enough you have never felt safer.

 “I thought we had established that.” He sighs. He carefully reaches out for your Quintessence near your neck, pulling a few more webs off. It feels even weirder and makes you shiver. The Beast takes a step back when he’s done and nods in approval.

 “How are you feeling now?” 

 “Like I’m gonna faint.” Your head is spinning once again. The Beast is real, physically standing right in front of you. He just pulled some evil magick off of you and he is real. 

 “Let’s get you away from the balcony.” 

 “Yeah… that’d be really smart.” You want to be far away from it right now anyway. What had you even been thinking before hand? You can barely take a step forward before you’re falling. You don’t hit the floor, but collide into the Beast who had moved to catch you.

 “Okay, no.” He sighs as his wings shift off of his shoulders. He scoops you up into his arms like you weigh nothing.

 “You’re not going to kidnap me, are you?” You look up at him. 

 “Why would I kidnap you?” He gives you a confused look as he carries you into your room. 

 “Well, I  _ am _ a Prince. I’d probably fetch a high price for ransom.”

 “...A prince huh?” The Beast hums and sets you gently down on your bed.

 “Yeah, I’m Lance.” You try to sit up as he starts to give you space. He pushes you back down.

 “You should rest,  _ Prince _ Lance.”

 “I’m fine!” You push his arm away and sit up. The Beast growls softly, grabbing your shoulders and pushing you back down.

 “Rest.” He demands.

 “Dude, I am  _ way _ too wired to sleep right now.” You complain, squirming against his hold on you.

 “I will tie you down.” He threatens. 

 “With what?” You huff. He shifts so he’s pinning your wrists down above your head with one hand again. And if it was terrifying before, it  _ certainly  _ isn’t now. The Beast grabs one of your blankets and pulls it over. 

 “Are you seriously gonna tie me up with sheets?” 

 “Yes.” He grunts as he wraps the blanket around your wrists in quick and effective movements. It bites a bit hard at your skin, especially as you try to pull them free. He ties the excess off around your bedpost. 

 “Rest.” The Beast demands again. He turns, wings draping back around his shoulders, and he starts to leave your room.

 “Wait! Please!” You call out. “Please, I-I can’t be alone right now.” You beg. The truth is, you’re not alright. Not with what happened moments ago and the very real discovery of the Beast piling on top of that. Have you finally snapped? You’re not entirely sure if you’re being honest.

        The Beast hesitates in the doorway of your balcony. You watch his shoulders slump as he sighs. He turns to look over his wing, eyes assessing you. 

 “You want  _ me _ to stay? Wouldn’t you rather I try to draw one of your friends over?” He asks, looking tired. You don’t have a response for him and look down at the floor. You pull your legs closer to your body, curling up.

 “I don’t have any friends down there.” You grunt and gesture with a toss of your head to the gardens outside. The Beast turns to face your more properly. 

 “What about the woman that was with Prince Shiro? Isn’t she your friend?” He asks. You file the fact he called King Shiro a  _ prince  _ away for later.

 “I can’t bother her with my problems. This is her welcoming party.” You shake your head. The Beast grabs one of the chairs in the room and hauls it over to your bedside. He straddles it backwards, leaning his chest against the back of the chair.  
  


  
 “Could you talk to Prince Shiro? He seems… nice.” The Beast settles for. There he goes again,  _ Prince Shiro _ .

 “I’ve done nothing but be a nuisance to him since I got to Stoneheart.” You blink back your misty eyes. You guess the Beast was right, there was a bad thought in the back of your mind. The Beast chews on his lip while he thinks silently. 

 “What about those other two? Big guy and small… um. Small one.” He must be talking about Hunk and Pidge. But even at that, you wouldn’t want them to see you like this. Not yet at the very least. Your jaw trembles and you swallow down past the knot forming in your throat.

 “Okay, okay. I’ll stay.” He says suddenly, holding his palms out.

 “I’m sorry.” You mumble as you hide your face in your knees. Your arms are starting to ache from being tied down. 

 “Hey man, relax okay? Normally people want nothing to do with me. It’s just… odd.” He crosses his arms on the back of the chair and rests his chin on them.

 “It’s been a very long day,” You laugh wetly. “A long week actually.” You kind of wished your hands were free to wipe your face. 

 “You showed up a few nights ago right? What brought Alteans out here?” The Beast asks, tilting his head. You sigh softly, closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing to calm back down. Of course the Beast would be curious about Allura, she’s Allura. Beautiful, charming, and ever so ready to take to the throne.

 “Allura, Princess of Altea, is engaged to  _ King _ Shiro. They’ve been allowed to spend these next six months together before the wedding. It was to make sure they both wanted to tie the knot at the end of this spring or hold off a bit longer.” You slowly open your eyes. 

 “ _ King _ ? He’s a King now?” The Beast furrows his brows. You nod your head in response. You feel a bit like a prisoner now, left to be interrogated by the Beast. You glance at him and then at your tied wrists and back again. 

 “Huh… I didn’t even notice that it happened.” The Beast mumbles. He frowns and leans over to the bedpost. With a sharp tug to the blanket, it unravels from the knot. You look at your free hand and carefully roll your wrist. You again find yourself wondering if the Beast has some sort of mind powers. 

 “And you, Prince Lance of Altea, what are you doing here?” He asks as you try to free your other wrist.

 “Um well, first of all, I’m not the Prince of Altea. Mi Amá,  _ she’s  _ Altean, so technically I’m half. I’m next in line for my father’s reign though, not Alfors. I’m just sort of here for emotional support?” You ramble as you only make the knot around your wrist tighter. The Beast reaches over and gently pushes your free hand aside. Once out of his way he unties it with a few pulls. 

 “So let me get this straight. An Altean princess is here to marry Shiro, who is now a  _ king _ . And you, a half-Altean, are here to provide them some emotional support in case they fight and try to call off the wedding?” He seems like he’s trying to unpack everything you’ve said. 

 “Well uh,” You chuckle nervously and rub your other wrist. “If I’m being honest, I was probably sent here just so I wasn’t sent back home instead.” You confess. You aren’t sure why though. Is it the echoes of those tendrils of Lady Honerva’s or are you that desperate to finally let these thoughts out? The Beast leans back in his chair and looks you over, golden eyes raking over your form as you sit up. 

 “Is there political tensions at home?” He asks, almost in an understanding tone. It feels strange. You look down at you lap and shake your head. You were only sent to Altea to see if it would help you cope with what happened to Veronica. Even now, you are still ashamed.

 “Well, you’re here now. Which is the important thing I suppose.” The Beast hums softly. You shrug.

 “Am I really though?” You look up at him. “Or have I snapped and I’m locked up in some dark room, imagining what my life would be like right now?” 

 “If you’re imagining this, then what have you decided my name is?” A small smile quirks up on his lips, teasing you.

 “I’d honestly be silly and call you  _ ‘Rojo’ _ or something,” You shake your head and rub your temples. “I don’t know. My head hurts.”

 “Rojo? Not a bad choice.” He hums and you hear him mumble it under his breath a few times.

 “Yeah, after the color of your Quintessence.” You can’t help but smile. The Beast falls silent at that. Your stomach twists a bit, was that too much for him? He leans a little bit closer and scrutinizes you under his gaze. 

 “You can see my Quintessence?” He asks you softly. You nod. If you focus on it more, it becomes much clearer. And you can see that it’s a gorgeous hot red.

 “Can you feel this?” He asks, and you feel a quick jab of searing heat against your Quintessence. It feels like a flick or a pinch. You push yours hard against his and let it wash back to you. 

 “I don’t know, could you feel that?” You smirk up at him. He looks surprised and chuckles.

 “Yeah, I felt it.” 

 “So… If I can see and feel your Quintessence, that means you’re real.” You find yourself smiling more sincerely as relief finds its way to you.

 “And you have potential for magick.” The Beast points out. He frowns at nothing and crosses his arms tightly against his chest. It makes you wonder what he’s thinking about. 

 “So I’ve been told,” You confirm as you scoot closer to the edge of your bed. “Is that also why I can see you? Can the others not?” You ask. 

 “No. I can be seen by anyone. You can ask Prin-- I mean,  _ King _ Shiro.” He corrects himself. 

 “That’s right! He did say he saw the beast when he was a child!” You slap your hands beside you on the mattress.

 “He was so small back then, barely came up to my knee.” The Beast shakes his head and smiles. 

 “How long have you been here? At Stoneheart I mean?” You ask him. You watch him tilt his head up to the ceiling as he thinks about his answer. It has you more curious the longer the silence stretches out. 

 “I’ve seen Shiro when he was first born, and his parents before him, and their parents before them. I’ve seen this kingdom become a part of the Galran Empire and this castle burn down more than once. Hell, I’m older than some parts of this castle itself. So a very,  _ very _ , long time.” He finally says looking back at you. You look at him with wide eyes. You have a million more questions burning on the tip of your tongue. He rests his chin on his palm. 

 “You have questions, don’t you?” He says with a knowing tone.  _ Again, mind reader. _

 “So many.” You tell him as you glance back down at the floor. You can feel a heat rise to your cheeks. You’re just excited, like when you found your first faery. Only more so, since you can actually talk and understand him.

 “Go ahead,” He shrugs. “It’ll give us something to do for now.”

 “I honestly don’t know where to start.” You shoot up off your bed and start to pace the room. The Beast watches you walk around not moving from his place on the chair. 

 “How old are you? Where do you come from? Why are you here? You also seem to be sensitive to Quintessence so does that mean  _ you _ know magick?” You start off with.

 “How old am I? If I recall, ‘Ancient’ would be the correct term I guess. I come from here and this place is my home. I am sensitive to Quintessence and I know some magick.” He lists off his answers for you. You smile widely, you aren’t used to having such clear answers. All of your professors made learning about these things feel like you have to find the answer to a riddle by yourself.

 “Wow…” You run a hand through your hair. The Beast raises an eyebrow curiously at you. He slowly sits upright and you watch his wings shift and settle back down around his shoulders as they were.

 “So then, why  _ are _ you here? Were you summoned? I’ve read that you are like, this guardian of sorts. Do you eat people? Like, maybe only bad people?” You watch as he scrunches his nose up.

 “I do not eat people.” He says, offended. “I was not summoned. Again, I lived here and this place is my home. Where else would I be? Why  _ wouldn’t  _ I protect my home if I had the ability to do so?”

 “How tall are you? Do you have a tail? Are you only active at night?” You ask.

 “I think I’m what, seven foot seven now? Yes, I have a tail. And yes… Once the sun sets I am free to move about as I wish.” He rubs at his arm. That last bit really catches your attention and you move closer to him. 

 “Once the sun sets?” You repeat.The Beast nods.

 “When the sun rises, I turn to stone. When it sets, I am free.” He looks at you. That makes some of the things click into place. 

 “The gargoyle that moves about the towers then, that’s you?” 

 “Technically I’m not a ‘gargoyle’. I’m a ‘grotesque’. But, yeah, that’s me.” 

 “Oh. Sorry.” You apologize. 

 “It’s alright, gargoyle sounds nicer.” He shrugs. 

 “Okay, but like, I bet your name would sound even better.” You say standing in front of him and offering him a warm smile. With him sitting down like this you can look him in the eye without having to tilt your head. He searches your eyes for something. He takes a breath, maybe finding whatever he’s looking for. 

 “Keith.” He whispers, almost afraid to tell you.

 “Keith,” You repeat just as softly. It feels so intimate to be allowed to know his name and even more so to be allowed to say it. 

 “Keith.” You smile at the sound of it in a much more confident tone in your voice. He shivers.

 “Careful. I wouldn’t want you to get tired of saying it.” Keith jokes. You shake your head.

 “You’ll get tired of hearing me say it before I stop.” You feel this spark deep in your core. Excitement? Thrill? You aren’t sure what it is exactly. Keith gives you another soft look.

 “Lord Keith, It’s a pleasure to finally to finally meet you.” You say, offering him your hand.

 “Lord?” He raises an eyebrow and gives you a curious look. 

 “Is that too low of a rank? I meant no disrespect.” You blush a bit embarrassed. You had meant for it to be a more neutral title but you didn’t even think that Keith could have been a fae ruler.

 “Do I need a title? It’s not like it would do me any good these days. There is no power I can gain from one anymore.” He shakes his head. The way he phrases it makes you really wonder again about being a fae ruler. Maybe even if he’s been exiled.

 “Then, perhaps the title of ‘friend’?” You offer. It surely at least has power in your book. Afterall, it is a friend who you needed tonight, and it’s Keith who was there for you.

 “Friend it is and friend it shall be.” Keith says and wraps his large hand around your injured one carefully. It almost feels like you’ve made a pact with the Beast. He brings your hand up and flips your hand over to kiss your inner wrist. It leaves you in awe and there definitely a blush on your face. 

 “It’s nice to meet you too, Prince Lance.” He nearly purrs. Oh, yeah, He is  _ definitely _ a ruler of some sort because that was way too smooth and dashing for an average person. The way those words came out of his mouth and the way he looks at you makes your heart do something funny. 

        You can’t even formulate words to respond to him. He lets go of your hand and gets up to his feet. You watch him and tilt your head back so you can follow his eyes. You can’t seem to stop staring at him, almost afraid that if you look away he’d fade into nothing.

 “You’re not leaving are you?” You whisper.

 “Oh I was _totally_ going to go down and join the party. Make it real festive.” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

 “Why not?” 

 “Just because you seem to be content in my presence doesn’t mean that everyone else down there would be. I’d rather not entice a mob to burn the castle down and kill King Shiro… again.”

 “ _ Again!? _ ” 

 “The castle part! There hasn’t been an attempt on  _ this  _ King Shiro’s life.” Keith clarifies seeming to notice his mistake. 

 “But his father?” 

 “...I had only heard about what had happened. It was during the day time.” He shrugs. 

 “What happened?” You ask. 

 “An attack of some sort, I’m not entirely sure what. I wouldn’t even be able to tell you if it was successful or not.” Keith frowns. Your back aches with a phantom pain as you nod. He glares at the walls and then looks back to you. 

 “If I’m being honest, the Galra just haven’t been happy not having one of their own on the throne.” He mumbles.

 “But this kingdom isn’t a Galran territory anymore. Why would they care?”

 “Are you sure it’s not?” 

 “Uh, yeah. It hasn’t been for a while now. I mean the Galra Empire doesn’t exist anymore and it hasn’t for  _ ages _ .” You try to think back to your history classes. You had even done a written report on some of the generals and it’s military. However, when it comes to this kingdom itself it’s a bit harder for you to say. Your family doesn’t exactly have any alliances with King Shiro, certainly nothing formal. It makes what you know of the area a bit more  _ limited _ to say the least.

 “The Galra probably would disagree. They’re a proud people after all.” Keith shrugs.

 “What are you talking about? Everyone is pretty proud of their heritage.” 

 “I never said it was a bad thing. It’s more of… they wouldn’t surrender their capital so easily. But don’t worry, King Shiro isn’t just going to roll over for them.” He walks further into your room. He goes over to your desk and inspects the books you have stacked there. You make a mental note about Stoneheart having once been the capital for the Galran Empire, you’re  _ so _ going to be asking Thace for a history book in the morning.

 “You just have me worried about Allura’s safety now.” You follow him.

 “You shouldn’t. Even with one arm, King Shiro’s still a formidable fighter.” He says, picking up your book full of poems.

 “Still am.”

 “I can’t exactly make you stop.” Keith shrugs as he opens the book gingerly. You watch his eyes skim across the pages that he flips with featherlight touches.

 “I didn’t pick you for a poetry guy.” You tease him. 

 “It’s a good way to get a feel for how the language has changed.” He huffs, and shuts the book.

 “It’s okay if you like poetry man. It’s romantic, and a guy isn’t worth his weight in salt if he can’t recite a few lines.” You lean against your desk. He sets it aside and picks up your more technical astronomy book.

 “I’m not interested in romance.” He mumbles as he flips through this one as well.

 “Well don’t you have a heart of stone.” You cross your arms. He stiffens, a tension running through his body. You give him a confused look as he slowly drags his gaze from the pages to you. 

 “Excuse me?” You guess it’s supposed to sound accusatory but he chokes on his words. Something uncomfortable settles in your gut.

 “Is that…” You start and grip at your arms. “Was that offensive? I’m sorry if it is, I didn’t mean to.” You apologize. Keith closes the book and sets it on your desk, no longer interested in the other volumes. 

 “It… It’s fine.” He pushes himself away from the desk and wanders closer to your vanity. 

 “Are you sure?” You ask him softly.

 “Yes. It’s fine,” He stops by the flowers in the vase. “They certainly look lively.” And you know a topic change like that from a mile away.

 “I’ve been doing my best. It’s not often I get flowers as a gift.” You smile at them. He reaches out and runs his fingers over the petals. 

 “They like you.” He says. 

 “I guess I can finally thank you for them.” You say stepping closer. 

 “Huh?” He looks over at you. 

 “You’re the one who brought them to me right?” You ask. 

 “Oh! Uh… Yeah.” He looks away. For a second you think maybe you see a bit of color on his cheeks. 

 “Well then, thank you for getting me such beautiful flowers. And yes, I accept your apology.” You chuckle. His shoulders hike up a bit closer to his ears as he refuses to look at you.

 “I’m… glad you like them.” He says.

 “I love them.” You lean closer to them and coo softly. He shakes his head and gives you a look.

 “What are you doing?” He asks.

 “Flowers like it when you talk to them.” You politely inform him. 

 “I don’t think they know.” 

 “And that’s why they like  _ me _ .” You stick your tongue out at his reflection. He chuckles. And if you weren’t staring at his face you wouldn’t have noticed the moment he sees himself. You watch as Keith has an internal struggle with the face he sees staring back at him. 

 “Please don’t break my mirror.” You tell him when you see his hands tighten into fists. He flicks his gaze over to you.

 “I won’t.” He says, going over to your bed and pulling one of the sheets off. He comes back and drapes it over the face of the mirror.

 “You really don’t like your reflection, do you?” You murmur as you trail your fingers over the blanket. 

 “No, I don’t.” His shoulders slump down as he looks up at your ceiling. 

 “...Do you want to talk about it?” You ask him, soft and hesitant.

 “No.”

 “Fair enough.” You back off. 

 “Let’s go back to your other questions.” He sighs as he crosses your room and sits back in the chair he had been occupying before. 

 “Uh, well…” You rack your brain for more questions as you hop onto your bed. “What made you think  _ I  _ was Altean?” 

 “Your marks.” Keith gestures to his face, just below his eyes. You reach up and touch your cheek, fingers smearing the paint. 

 “Oh yeah.” You totally forgot about them.

 “I mean, yours are smaller than what I last saw Alteans wearing.” 

 “Smaller? How much smaller?” You ask curious, after all you are used to seeing them be this size. 

 “Like, the last time I saw them they went all the way down the face.” He says, tracing the pattern. Starting near the corner of his eye, over his cheek, and then down sharply over his lips and nearly touching his chin.

 “Gods above, you really  _ are _ Ancient. Only the  _ Elder  _ High Priests and Priestesses do them that long for  _ certain  _ rituals. But no one wears them that long so casually any more.” You tell him. Well, no one but apparently, Lady Honerva. It gives you the creeps just to think about her. Keith gives you a flat look.

 “I did tell you I was really old, remember?”

 “I know but like, it really puts it into perspective for me.” You lean back on your arms and pull your legs up on your bed.

 “Sorry I don’t know much about Altean traditions. There hadn’t been an alliance between Stoneheart and the Altean kingdom back then.”

 “Back when?” You cross your legs. 

 “When I was younger.” He shrugs.

 “And you’re  _ sure  _ you’re not a prince?” You squint at him.

 “What makes you think I am one?” He rolls his eyes.

 “Well, to be fair, more common folk don’t usually care for politics. Those who have power care at least a bit. And the family, they certainly care a lot.” 

 “I don’t think you could call me a common citizen to begin with.” He gestures to himself, wings briefly lifting up off his shoulders and spreading wide open. You can’t help but stare at them and before you even really know it you’ve moved off the bed. 

        You run your fingers along the flesh of Keith’s wing. He tenses slightly under your touch, head turning to watch your hands closely. Other than that he makes no move to stop you. The wing membrane is thin but it feels like skin. There isn’t anything special or strange to it. No leather like quality, no soft fur, it’s just like touching your own inner arm. 

        You trace the veins and the fingers of the wing. As you make your way up to the thumb Keith flinches slightly, wing drawing in closer to his body. 

 “Sorry.” You whisper. He rolls his shoulders and you notice a quick shiver rush through him. 

 “It’s fine.” He stretches it back out for you to touch again. 

 “Is it sensitive?” You ask as you run your fingers along it again.

 “A bit,” He admits. “They have to be to feel the air currents when I fly.”

 “You can  _ fly _ ?” 

 “I wouldn’t have wings if I couldn’t.” 

 “Well, they could be more for show!” You pout at Keith and walk around to touch his other wing. 

 “They aren’t.” He watches you just as closely as he did before. Keith squirms a bit again as your fingers brush against the space where the wing membrane connects to his back. His wing involuntarily snaps out, smacking you in the face. He gasps when it happens, twisting his body away from you and reaching out to make sure he hasn’t hurt you. 

 “Okay, don’t touch there, got it.” You chuckle as you rub your cheek. It hadn’t hurt if you were honest. It was more of a surprise than anything. 

 “Are you okay?” He asks.

 “I’m fine! Though I bet if you intended to hit me it’d hurt a bit more.” You joke and smile at him. Keith studies your face for a moment more. 

 “Let’s… not play with them?” He says as he brings them back around his body. You watch the thumbs of the wings reach out for each other and hook together. 

 “Is it hard?” You ask as he gets up from the chair once more. 

 “Is what hard?” He tilts his head.

 “Flying. Is it hard?” You clarify. He hums as he mulls over your question. 

 “At first I hated it. It’s a strange set of muscles and it took a bit to figure out how to do it properly,” He looks down at them. “I still sometimes have issues with landing.” He almost pouts. You can’t help but find the thought of the gargoyle constantly crash landing everywhere around the castle to be hilarious.

 “So you can fly, but not land?”

 “Flying is easy. Going from air to ground is a bit harder.” He shrugs.

 “What about taking off?” 

 “It’s incredibly hard to just go straight up from a stand still. A bit of a run or heck, falling, is way easier to fly from.” 

 “Wow.” You say softly. You find yourself following Keith around as he starts to wander about your room again. He reaches out and runs his fingers along the stones of the walls and the soft curtains that hang over the windows. 

        You continue to ask him questions. Most of them just being simple things, nothing of consequence. His favorite color, if he knows how to dance, can he sing? In return he asks questions of his own. How old is King Shiro now, how long has Stoneheart and Altea been allies, are you studying and what? 

        You don’t always have answers for him but it doesn’t seem to bother him. He just nods and moves onto a new question. You ask him if he’s a ruler but he just shakes his head not sure why you find it so important. For his sake you drop it again. He keeps glancing over his shoulder at the balcony.

        The longer he’s here the more he keeps doing it. You frown thinking he must feel trapped. After another glance out you sigh a bit heavier than you intended, causing him to look back at you.

 “If you want to leave you can. You don’t have to keep me company now.” You plop down on your bed. He almost seems to blush again and clears his throat.

 “It’s not that, it’s just… the sun is getting ready to rise soon.” Keith rubs the back of his neck. 

 “Wait, seriously?” Have the two of you really been up all night? 

 “I can feel it coming soon. Trust me, I’d like to stay and keep talking but… well, I’m no good to anyone when I’m stone.” He gives you a weak smile. You chew on the inside of your cheek.

 “Maybe… Maybe you can come back tomorrow night?” You look up at him. It seems to catch him off guard.

 “Are you sure?”

 “Yeah, of course I am.” You get up and walk over to where he stands near the balcony doors.

 “I’d like that.” Keith says softly. 

 “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” You follow him out onto the balcony. 

 “Wait,” He pauses, and you jerk to a stop. “One last thing before I go.” Keith says walking back to the door. You watch him curiously as he closes his eyes. You feel the swell in his Quintessence, rising up to his hands. 

        Keith opens his eyes and gives you another reassuring grin before facing your door. He presses a clawed finger into the wood of the door frame. You watch, awed, as he carves a few sigils into it. They pulse and glow a gentle red as he carves. When he pulls away the Quintessence he poured into it shimmers brightly once more before becoming more subtle. Keith’s own Quintessence settles back down around him, from a blazing wildfire to a soft flickering candle.

 “Did you just put a spell on my door?” You ask him. He looks it over and nods in approval at it before facing you.

 “Yes, I did.”

 “Cool, cool. What kind of spell?” You look at the sigils.

 “A burning.” He says. You snap your head over to him.

 “A  _ burning _ ? Like I touch the door and I’ll catch on fire?” Your voice rises with a slight panic. Keith laughs. 

 “No, no. It’s not that at all.”

 “Then?”

 “If whoever tried to plant a bad seed on you does it again, this will burn it out when you cross the threshold. At least it’ll keep you from jumping off.” He murmurs as he runs his fingers over it. When he touches it, it lights up happily under his fingers. 

 “Oh.” You aren’t sure what to say about that.

 “Just be careful around that person.” Keith frowns, there’s some distant look in his eyes that you don’t quite place. 

 “I promise. I’ll stick around so that you come visit me tomorrow night.” You nudge him gently. He nods and steps up onto your balcony railing. 

 “Until tomorrow then.” He says. You watch him take a step back off the railing and fall. Your heart leaps into your throat as you rush over. 

        You get to catch the moment his wings snap out and catch the air, pulling him up out of the dive. Keith makes a lazy arc back up and gives you a playful smirk when he sees you clutching the railing. He salutes you before going up further towards the rooftops. When you no longer can track him you walk over to the door. 

        Your fingers trace the sigils he carved into it. They do not light up under your touch like they did for him. It’s fine though, you think to yourself as you step into your room. You change your clothes and wash your face. By the time you curl up under your blankets and start to drift out the sun is rising.


	8. Charade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey-o some of you might have noticed this fic was bumped up to an M rating! This fic was always intended to be at a M rating because of some of the content but I'm a doof and put it at T! I hope you continue to enjoy reading it regardless!

        You dream of the Beast, of Keith. You dream of being turned to stone come morning’s light every day and how frightening it must be. You dream of glowing eyes and red markings. Of sickly purple Quintessence and of Veronica. You jolt awake when you dream of what would have happened had Keith not been there. 

        You sit up, clutching the sheets and covered in sweat. It takes far too long to calm yourself down. You get up on shaking legs and go to the bathroom to splash cold water on your face. You cling tightly to the counter and stare down into the sink. There is a soft knock on your bedroom door. With a sigh you call for the guest to come in.

 “Prince Lance?” Coran steps in. You clear your throat and go to approach him.

 “Right here.” You greet him. 

 “Good morning. How are you feeling my boy?” He asks you, voice gentle.

 “I’m alright. Sorry I left the party in such a rush last night. I just needed a moment and then I fell asleep.” You give him an apologetic look. He nods and rests his hand on your shoulder. 

 “As long as you’re alright now,” He gives it a squeeze. “King Shiro and Princess Allura are downstairs having breakfast if you are interested in joining them.” 

 “Definitely. I’m starving.” You groan and rub your stomach. Coran chuckles under his breath and squeezes your shoulder once more. 

 “I’ll let them know you’ll be on your way down.” 

 “Thank you, Coran.” You head over to your closet to get yourself dressed. 

 “Of course, my boy.” Coran says, giving you one last look before he steps out and closes the door behind him. 

        Your dream still lingers in your mind. It had all felt so real. Maybe you had even dreamt up meeting Keith, the Beast. You shake the thought from your mind and go straight for the balcony. You look at the door and sure enough, the sigils are still carved into the wood there. You reach out and trace them once again, a warmth leaking into your fingertips and into your Quintessence. 

        When you pull your hand away the warmth stays. It leaves you feeling safe and you happily step back inside. You pull the sheet off the vanity mirror and fold it up on the chair. Leaning forward on the desk you look over your face. You look a bit tired, but considering you stayed up all night that’s reasonable. 

        After changing the water for the flowers and giving them more encouraging words, you slip out of your room. The trek to the dining hall is a quick one and you wave at both Allura and Shiro as you enter. Allura gets up from her spot and quickly goes over to you. She throws her arms around your shoulders.

 “Lance!” 

 “Morning to you too.” You chuckle, returning her hug. She leans back and looks you over.

 “How are you feeling? I had heard you talking to yourself last night when I went to check on you.” She asks softly to not let the others hear.

 “I was… meditating?” You go with, not quite wanting to share your encounter with the stone kind.

 “Are you alright though?” She asks, trying to find something in your eyes. You gently pull her hands off your shoulders.

 “I’m fine.” You promise as you take your seat across from where Allura sits and greet Romelle. 

 “I’m glad you could join us Lance.” Shiro smiles warmly at you. 

 “Man, I was not about to miss food. I’m so hungry I could probably eat a horse or something.” You rest your chin in your palm. 

 “We got rather worried with how quickly you had left the party last night,” Shiro mentions as the waitstaff come in with your food. “Allura had said that you just needed some space.”

 “Well, yeah. I did just need space. I just had been so… worn out that I fell asleep in my room.” You then thank the waitress who sets your food down before she disappears.

 “Are you _sure_ you’re alright? That’s quite a bit of sleeping you’ve been doing.” Shiro gives you a worried look. 

 “I do recall Romelle mentioning you had been tired the day before too and that was why you were unable to join us for dinner.” Allura also gives you a concerned look. You glance over at Romelle, who is very pointedly staring at the ceiling. 

 “I’m fine. I promise. I’ve been staying up late, catching up with Thace’s lessons. I don’t want to fall behind Hunk and Pidge too much.” You play with the food in front of you. Allura frowns but accepts your answer, even if it’s just for now.

 “I’ll hold you to that then. You better be part of the top three this semester.” Shiro teases, giving you another once over before accepting your answer as well. 

 “Sure thing, _dad!_ Do I get ice cream if I get straight A’s?” You joke back. 

 “Whatever you want, my boy.” Shiro laughs as Allura rolls her eyes.

 “You’ll spoil him, at least offer him something of value.” She shakes her head with a smile.

 “Jeepers Mom, could I get a pony?” You pout at Allura.

 “The most beautiful mare will be yours.” She nods with a serious expression.

 “Now who’s spoiling him?” Shiro asks her.

 “I only want the best for my child.” She rests a hand over her chest. 

        But even with the joking around, there’s a strange tenseness to the meal that had not been there on the days before. It makes the food taste bitter and cold. You end up playing with it more than you eat it. Shiro and Allura talk softly to each other. You find your head bobbing just slightly. 

 “By the way Lance,” Shiro starts, jolting you back in to reality. “Lady Honerva had stopped by earlier. She wanted to apologize for her actions last night.”

 “Oh really.” You say, not able to keep your tone from dripping with malice. She’s the one who corrupted your Quintessence and nearly had you swan diving off of your balcony. You remember Keith’s warning very clearly. Shiro gives you a slightly surprised look before it morphs into something unreadable. Something that clearly comes with practice, you’d assume. 

 “Yes. She had come around saying she had wished to apologize to you. We informed her that it would be best to let you get some rest before hand.” 

 “Well she can take her apology and shove it up her --”

 “Lance!” Allura cuts you off with a screech. Even Romelle looks surprised. 

 “What? It’s true! I don’t think she’s even the slightest bit sorry about what happened.” You lean back and cross your arms. Why Lady Honerva decided to use her magick on _you_ , you aren’t sure of. If anything she’s only sorry she didn’t get to complete her twisted goal and left you alive as a witness.

 “She had no right to disrespect you the way she did. Especially not in my castle in front of me and my guests. If she had not come forward herself I would have had her brought here.” Shiro tells you. 

 “Again, she’s not sorry. Her apology will be meaningless.” You roll your eyes and stare up at the vaulted ceiling. 

 “I’m not saying you have to accept it, just know that when she arrives to apologize it would be best for you to be able to be there. If for nothing else but to give you the satisfaction of seeing her face when you deny it.” Shiro says, almost a bit dark. It’s a cold and calculating statement which feels weird to hear come from his mouth. Allura looks over at him.

 “He _will_ accept it, the potential tensions it could cause between our three kingdoms is not worth it.” Allura says. Shiro gives her a sidelong glance, eyebrow raised. _Oh no, this is exactly like when your_ actual _parents get into a heated debate._

“Lady Honerva knows she is on very _thin_ ice while visiting here. Acting out of line the way she did is unacceptable.” Shiro informs her.

 “And why would she be on thin ice?” Allura asks, flicking her hair out of her eyes with a quick head toss. You glance between the two of them. 

 “Lady Honerva knows why.” Shiro traces the edge of his goblet. 

 “Well that hardly seems to be fair. What was her crime?” Allura pins him with a glare. 

 “Allura, trust me, this is not something you can fix.” Shiro says with a haunted look in his eyes. It’s a look that has you uneasy. The two silently stare at one another. You glance over at Romelle who looks like she’s seconds away from panicking.

 “Regardless, she had no right to say what she did to Lance. _Surely_ you must agree on that part.” Shiro says.

 “Of course I do.” Allura murmurs.

 “Then you should allow him the option to decide for himself if he wants to accept her apology. It is not _you_ she hurt after all.” Shiro says with a finality to his voice. Allura clicks her tongue and  seems to consider this. She may not be happy with the answer she’s been given but she takes it. 

 “Uh so, how was _your_ morning Romelle?” You ask.

 “Oh! It was splendid thank you. I got up in time to see the sun rise. It looked beautiful.” She responds with a forced smile. Allura and Shiro finally look away from each other and regard the two of you. 

 “We certainly take them for granted, don’t we?” You ask her, unable to keep your mind from wandering to Keith. When was the last time the guy saw a sunrise you wonder.

 “Most definitely.” Romelle agrees, folding her hands on her lap. 

 “May I have a word with you Lance,” Shiro says suddenly, surprising you.  

 “I… suppose so? I mean I can’t exactly turn down an invitation with the king, now can I?” You joke, glancing over at Allura.

 “Alone.” He clarifies.

 “You can’t be serious.” Allura squints over at him. However, Shiro is looking directly at you, ignoring her.

 “Where to, your highness?” You ask as you stand up.

 “Lance.” Allura turns her attention to you but you wave her off. 

 “It’ll be fine,” You offer her a small smile. “Maybe this way _I_ can be the one to give him the shovel talk.”

 “You can certainly try.” Shiro snorts as he rises from his seat. 

 “Will I be seeing you boys later then?” Allura asks, glancing between you both.

 “Of course. It’s not like I plan on getting him killed.” Shiro lands his hand on your shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze. Allura frowns at his joke but nods. He walks over to her and takes her hand, kissing her knuckles. She blushes softly.

 “Thank you,” Shiro smiles at her and then he turns to you again. “This way.” He says as he starts to lead you through the halls. 

        After a bit of stumbling on your part, he guides you to the gardens. It’s a completely different section from what you had been in before though. Instead of bushes and flowers there’s tall hedges and trees. With a practiced ease he guides you through the maze the hedges make until the two of you are at the center. 

        There is a large clearing with a gazebo and a fountain. Shiro leads you to the gazebo and encourages you down to sit with him. For a few moments you are silent. He gazes out at the hedges and after awhile he flicks his eyes over to you. 

 “I don’t quite know what’s going on,” You start. “Like, I’m glad you’re letting me choose to forgive Lady Honerva, but it almost sounds like you have a grudge against her.”

 “Does it?” He raises an eyebrow at you.

 “Yeah it does.”

 “You are a guest in my home. My fianceé’s closest family member. And most importantly, a friend. No one should be allowed to hurt you in any manner.” He says without a hint of doubt, no hesitation. 

 “It still sounds like you have a grudge against her. Maybe just a little one. And it’s totally cool if you do!” You hold your palms up. 

 “I never said that.” He smirks slightly.  
  


  
 “So you _do_ have one then,” You lean closer to him, eyes wide. “What’s the story behind that?” You ask. He sighs. 

 “It’s complicated.” 

 “Is it _really_ , or is that your way of trying not to tell me?” You know that song and dance rather well yourself. He runs his hand through his hair and tugs lightly at the white strands.

 “Lance, I’m going to tell you something, something that not even my advisor knows about.”

 “Are you sure you wanna trust _me_ with such a big, juicy, secret? Wouldn’t Allura be better?” You laugh nervously. 

 “I’ll tell her about it one day, but I _do_ trust you _._ Not only that but… I feel that you could relate more than she could.” He lets go of his hair and turns to face you more fully. 

 “Well then, I’m all ears buddy.” You smile and stretch your legs out in front of you. He takes a deep breath, tension draining out of his body.

 “When I was a child, I used to be sensitive to Quintessence, even able to see it’s colors. I could also see the fae and spirits.” Shiro starts with. Your jaw falls open. And you’re hit with the feeling of, ‘ _you’re not alone.’_

 “Wait, _used_ to be?” You furrow your eyebrows when his words finish processing.

 “I can’t see them anymore these days.” He shrugs.

 “What happened?”

 “Lady Honerva.” He spits out, eyes narrowed. Your heart skitters in your chest. 

 “What did she do?” 

 “When my parents realized I wasn’t just a child with a hyperactive imagination, they sought out a High Priestess. She, in turn, offered to teach me magick to control it.” He turns his gaze back out to the gardens. You have a bad feeling about where this is going. 

 “Lady Honerva was the High Priestess?” You ask softly. He nods.

 “My parents had accepted her proposition. She began to teach me. I was rather good at manipulating it as long as I had an external source.” He looks down at his hand.

 “I’m sensing there’s a ‘but’ there.” 

 “You’d be right,” He chuckles. “But it was extremely draining. It was as if there was nothing left in my body to give anymore. There was never time for me to recover from it either.” He sighs, balling his hand into a tight fist.

 “If you didn’t have recovery time then… how did you handle the lessons?”

 “I didn’t. It burned everything out. My sight, my sensitivity, I couldn’t even control it any longer at that point either.”

 “Was she just overworking you?”

 “No, none of her lessons should have been so taxing. It wasn’t just her lessons that were doing it to me either.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Lady Honerva and wormed her way into nearly every aspect of my life. To the point that when I was having night terrors after my father’s assassination, and after my _accident_ ,” He gestures to his missing arm. “She was there ‘healing’ me. In reality, they only got worse.” He flexes his jaw and glares at the ground. You wrap your arms around yourself and remember Keith pulling Lady Honerva’s Quintessence off of yours. 

 “How much worse?” You whisper.

 “I was losing myself in them,” He looks up at the ceiling of the gazebo. “It was becoming harder and harder to remember who I was in that year alone. I felt like I was watching this… fake version of me manage my life.”

 “Gods above.” You rub your arms. If just a few minutes had you nearly jumping from your balcony you can’t bear to think how at least one year would feel. 

 “And no matter who I tried to talk to about it, they all had the same idea about me. They thought I was going crazy,” He closes his eyes “So I stopped talking about it, suffered quietly.” You understand on another level why Shiro’s trusting you with his secret now. You pick at the small fluff that had fallen from the tree onto your knees. 

 “What did you do about it?” You ask him softly. 

 “The moment I became king, I removed her from her position in the castle. And though she’s been gone for several years, I can still feel it echo in my head.” He rubs his face.

 “So, you were purified for that?” You ask as you gesture to your bangs. He nods and tugs at his white hair once more. 

 “It cleansed my Quintessence but not the scars she left behind.” He lets his hand flop down. You look at him, he seems so tired and exhausted. He closes his eyes slowly and takes another long deep breath. When he opens them again, life seems to have come back to him. 

 “That’s why I am leaving you with the choice. You can choose to forgive her, and I will understand and allow it. Or you can choose to deny her apology.” He looks over at you.

 “To be honest, I wasn’t thinking of forgiving her,” You look out at the gardens. “She… did something to me. I’ve never felt something so dark on _myself_. So…” You gesture vaguely.

 “All consuming?” Shiro offers. You nod in agreement. 

 “Like, don't get me wrong, I’ve felt bad things. I’ve felt _hounds_ before Shiro.” Your chest constricts tightly at the memory. 

 “Hounds?”

 “Yeah, it was the first time I had seen something that had made me afraid. They came for my uncle, he um, he been doing something. It was never really explained to me since I was so little. Whatever he did though had hounds drag him off.” You shiver. 

 “That’s… terrifying.” 

 “It was. My parents were convinced that because of it the family was cursed.”

 “Just because one person did something bad, does not a curse make.” Shiro shakes his head.

 “No, but all of your kids afterwards having issues for seemingly no reason? You need something to pin the blame on.” 

 “Issues?” He asks you softly.

 “Like, my oldest sister Raquel for example. She got married off but she isn’t happy at all with her husband and she hasn’t been able to have any kids. Luis got into so much trouble, father married him off to some princess far away to get rid of him. And my oldest brother Marco? Marco literally ran away from home, and I’m the only one who knows where he is. He writes but I burn the letters and don’t write back. He’s finally happy.” 

 “And your Quintessence sensitivity?” He raises an eyebrow.

 “They never knew I had it. As far they think, I’m the only one who isn’t fucked up.” You shrug. 

 “How could they not know? I felt what you did last night with just your Quintessence.”

 “Because of Veronica.”

 “Another one of your sisters, right?” 

 “Yeah. She was great. If you think what I did was impressive you would have been amazed with her,” You chuckle and sigh. “She was learning in secret, she was a great healer.”

 “I’m sorry about what happened to her.” Shiro says. 

 “It’s not your fault.” You flex your jaw. 

 “It wasn’t anyone’s fault.” 

 “She needed help. And I _could’ve_ been there for her. I could’ve told my parents I could see things too.” You find yourself bouncing your leg rapidly. 

 “And then who knows what would have happened to _you_.”

 “Who cares? At least she wouldn’t have been so alone!” You run your hands through your hair.

 “Allura would have. I’m fairly certain I would have too.”

 “Without meeting me?” You look over at him, rolling your eyes.

 “Without having met you, yes. I still would have cared and worried,” Shiro says, eyes bright with determination. “Lance, as… messed up as this sounds, maybe it happened for a reason. And if so, you _need_ to stop beating yourself up about it.” 

 “You’re right. That _is_ messed up and incredibly selfish.” You say, roughly patting his knee. You get up and start to pace around the gazebo.

 “My apologies, Lance. I--”

 “Y’know what, I’m still pretty exhausted,” You cut him off. “I’m going back to my room. I’ll think some more about what I’ll say to Lady Honerva there.” You cross your arms and frown at him.

 “As you wish. I’ll send someone for you when she arrives.” He inclines his head to you.

 “Cool beans.” You rock on your feet. You watch him bite back a smile.

 “Do you need help getting out of here?” He asks you.

 “I… Yes.” You groan. He huffs a soft laugh and gets up. 

 “This way.” He says as he steps away from the gazebo. You walk alongside him this time. If the silence that falls between you two bothers him, he keeps it to himself. When you finally break free of the hedge maze you pause to look up at the castle as Shiro continues walking. 

 “Lance?” Shiro turns back around to face you. 

 “Hmm?”

 “Thank you for listening to me. It’s… been a long time since I could share with anyone about… my past.” 

 “Your secret’s safe with me.” You mumble. 

 “As is yours with me.” He gives you a small smile and another polite nod as he continues his way inside. You watch him go and chew on the inside of your cheek. 

        The day has barely begun and yet, you’re ready for the night to come. _Heavy is the head that wears the crown_ , you remember your father telling you on more than one occasion. You will have to carry the weight of Shiro’s confession on your back the way you carry your gift. You carry it with you like a stone settling in the pit of your stomach, as you make your way to your room.  

        The house staff whisper quietly as you pass them by, but you are too engrossed in your own thoughts that you can’t parse their words. You just keep your eyes dead ahead and stride down the hallways. _Chin up, shoulders back, chest raised, remember you are a prince_ , your father’s voice echoes in your head.

        When you push your bedroom door open you keep your posture. Right now is the time for you to be a prince. This is _your_ time to show what your kingdom represents, what your people value, and the honorable judgement of your court. You stand in front of your vanity mirror and cross your arms behind your back. 

 “What do we do about Lady Honerva?” You ask your reflection. There are pros and cons for you to weigh after all.

 “Let’s start with the cons. One, she tried to kill me. That’s an assassination attempt and it should not be taken lightly. Two, she corrupted my Quintessence with a touch and a word. She’s clearly dangerous and should probably be locked up,” You start to pace around the room. “But to cross her? It might result in something far worse. Three, she’s just plain creepy. Enough said.

 “Pros? Well… She’s Altean. Accepting her apology can strengthen the alliance we have with Altea. Refusal could raise a few questions. Two, she _is_ strong. You’d want her on your side in the event of a catastrophe. But, with what Shiro’s has told us, it comes with quite a sacrifice. Would it even be worth it?” You pause in front of the mirror and look at yourself. Everything you’re seeing tells you that you have to accept. You stare at the prince in the mirror and then your shoulders slump. Your facade breaks. 

 “But what do I, _Lance_ , want…?” You look more like a broken young man playing dress up. You sit down heavily in the chair in front of the vanity. 

 “If we deny her,” You tell yourself. “She could hurt us. She was ready to kill us, what will stop her from trying again?” Defeat tastes bitter on your tongue. You lost the moment she decided to apologize. You rest your head in your hands and tug gently at your hair. 

 “What do I do?” You groan, tilting your head back against the chair. “I know what I _should_ do. I know what she _wants_ me to do. There has to be a way for me to end up on top of this. Especially now that I know she did something to Shiro. That can’t be a coincidence. She has to be up to something.” You stare up at the ceiling above you. Slowly, you tilt your head back down and face yourself once more. You close your eyes and take a deep breath. 

 “What would you do Veronica?” You steeple your fingers together and rest your head against them. 

        Veronica would be pissed you know that for sure. She’d probably take as long as she could to make her decision on whether to accept or reject the apology. In a sense, punishing the person in question with the anticipation. In the end though? She’s find a way to accept the apology and find something she could gain from them.

        And what could you possibly gain from Lady Honerva? How to be a creepy, manipulative, bitch? Technically yes, but you’re not interested. You rest your chin on your thumbs and look at yourself once more. There _is_ something you could gain from her, however. 

 “This is a terrible idea.” You tell yourself. Lady Honerva knows magick, a talent that is hidden and knowledge that is lacking. 

 “This is a _very_ bad idea.” But by the Gods below, would it be nice to watch her be humbled by your offer. It puts the ball back into your court, gives you control once more. There’s a gentle knock at your door which makes you jump.

 “Yes?” You call out.

 “Prince Lance, I was told to come fetch you. Lady Honerva is here.” Says a soft voice that seems familiar, though you can’t place it. It’s time to face the music, that has perfect timing, you suppose. It must be a good omen. You cast one more glance at yourself and get up to your feet.

 “I’ll be right out.” You can face this wicked witch, you tell yourself. When you open the door you are honestly surprised to see Romelle standing there. Normally she sounds so sure of herself, no wonder you couldn’t identify the timid girl calling out for you. 

 “Is everything okay, Romelle? You seem… quiet?” You look down at her and notice her fidgeting with her skirts.

 “I… Please excuse me for being so, how do you say it, _chismoso_?” She glances at you.

 " _Chismosa_ ,” You correct her automatically with a small chuckle. “It’d be with an ‘a’ because it’s feminine in your case.” 

 " _Chismosa_.” She smiles and repeats the word, stepping aside to let you out.

 “So what did you want to know?” You ask as you pull your door shut.

 “I wanted to know what was going on with this, _Lady Honerva_ person. Princess Allura wouldn’t tell me anything about it and I was a bit preoccupied at the party with helping Coran.”

 “There’s not much _to_ say. She just made some rather inappropriate comments towards me. But, don’t worry too much about it, I can handle it no sweat.” You shrug as you lean against the wall behind you.

 “Oh… I see.” Romelle frowns and plays with her gloves. You step closer to her and rest a hand on her shoulder.

 “Hey, don’t stress.” You say softly. “It’s not like this will call for war or something catastrophic to break out.”

 “How could I not? You’ve been on edge since you arrived at Stoneheart.” She sighs.

 “Have I?” 

 “You seem to be. You’ve been jumping at shadows, letting strangers into your room, not sleeping well, and disappearing for hours. I just… I wish you could relax more.”

 “You and me both.” You joke, squeezing her shoulder gently.

 “Perhaps then… if it’s not too bold of me to ask, we could go and look at the stars together?” Romelle looks up at you, her hand resting on top of yours. It touches you that she knows of your interests when she’s _Allura’s_ handmaid. 

 “Definitely, yeah. I’ve been meaning to! King Shiro told me the stars are beautiful here and I wanted to see if he was telling the truth.”

 “W-would tomorrow night be… good?” She asks.

 “Tomorrow night, I’ll belong to you and the stars alone.” You smile at Romelle. Her eyes light up and you give her shoulder a final squeeze before letting go. She plays with her skirts once more. You think it’s kind of cute to watch.

 “But in order for that to happen, I have to take care of this matter first. Would you like to walk me to where everyone’s at?” You ask her. She snaps her gaze up to you and away from the floor.

 “Certainly!” She starts to walk off but you catch up with her.

        You walk alongside Romelle to the stateroom where everyone is currently waiting for you. She keeps glancing over at you as you keep your “Princely Posture”. It makes you feel a smidge nervous. Could she see through the cracks in your armor? You certainly hope not. 

        Soon enough she stops in front of the stateroom. You take a quick, deep breath, and shake the nerves out. 

 “Will you be alright?” She asks.

 “Always.” You give her a bright smile. You stand up straight and roll your shoulders back. _It’s showtime, Prince._ You tell yourself as Romelle pulls the door open for you.

        You stride in with your head held high. Romelle shuts the door behind you and you convince yourself to not feel trapped. Shiro is sitting next to the fireplace by a large table. Allura sits across from him, on the other side of the fireplace. In front of Allura sits Lady Honerva. Lady Honerva rises up out of her chair as you enter. You make your way to the empty armchair in front of Shiro. 

 “Prince Lance.” Lady Honerva curtsies for you. 

 “Lady Honerva, I’m glad to see you are looking well.” You smile sweetly to her and gesture for her to take her seat once more. You get comfortable and greet Shiro and Allura as well. 

 “Lance, we were talking about last night while we were waiting for you.” Allura starts the conversation off with. You glance over to Shiro who looks like he’s on edge. He tries to keep it casual, fingers pressed against his temple and holding his head up. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Lady Honerva. 

 “I do apologize for not being able to enjoy the party to its fullest.” You fold your hands on your lap. 

 “There’s no need to apologize for that.” Shiro tells you, flicking his gaze to you briefly before going back to Lady Honerva. 

 “Lady Honerva was telling me she was rather nervous last night. It had been her first night back at Stoneheart in such a while, and to be meeting her own Princess. She was quite sorry if she had come off too strong.” Allura gives Lady Honerva a warm smile. Your stomach coils around itself. When you look over at Shiro you can see his jaw is clenched tight. With Allura so heavily pro-Honerva you are completely sure you made the right call back in your room. You’ll have no choice but to accept the apology, least you be turned into a villian.

 “I’m glad Lady Honerva can tell she has made quite a mistake.” Shiro tries to keep his tone light, but it’s strained. 

 “Your Majesty, Princess,” Lady Honerva gives both a polite head bow. “Thank you for your kind words. I however will understand if Prince Lance does not accept my deepest apology.” Alright, time to ham it up.

 “Lady Honerva, I too, should apologize.” You tilt your head back against the chair somewhat, bringing your fingertips together in front of you. Allura tilts her head and Lady Honerva gives you a questioning look.

 “Whatever for, Prince Lance?”

 “My reaction to such a strong spirit, strong Quintessence, was very rude and aggressive. As you probably are aware, I am quite sensitive to Quintessence. Seeing such power and control over it made me feel weak in comparison. Surely, you must understand. You probably get it often.” 

 “Well, I wouldn’t say that. But thank you for your kind words Prince.” Lady Honerva tilts her head to you.

 “They are simply the truth. I will admit, I thought long and hard about accepting your apology. I’ve come to the conclusion that, I can humbly accept it.” You start. Lady Honerva smiles in a way that has your skin crawling.

 “Why, thank yo--”

 “Ah bup-bup-bup, I wasn’t done.” You raise a finger to stop her. Her jaw clicks shut and it fills you with a childlike glee to watch. 

 “Please, continue Prince.” She concedes.

 “I will humbly accept your apology on _one_ condition.” 

 “Anything for you, my Prince.”

 “I ask of you to teach me.” _Glance down, play with your fingers, make it look like this is embarrassing to ask._ Shiro whips his head around to look at you, stunned.

 “Teach you?” Lady Honerva raises an eyebrow. 

 “Yes m’lady. I’ve read a few books on Quintessence, heard a small handful of it’s theories. However, it’s rather frowned upon in my kingdom. I’ve had no one to teach me how to properly control my gift,” _Shy glance up, then back down_. “I feel that there would be no one better to teach me than someone as skilled as you.”

 “As skilled as myself?”

 “I noticed your markings at last night’s party. To make them so long, well, you must be a High Priestess, no?”

 “I was, once.” Lady Honerva agrees. 

 “Then please, _High Priestess_ Honerva. Teach me what you know.” You finally meet her eyes and desperately ignore the absolutely devastated look on Shiro’s face. 

 “Of course, my Prince. It’d be my honor to teach you.” High Priestess Honerva bows a bit more fully in her chair. You can’t fight the grin that spreads across your face, so you dial it up to eleven.

 “Thank you so much High Priestess! When should we begin?” You turn to Shiro. “Would we be able to use the study room for these lessons?” You ask him. Shiro sputters for a moment, thrown off by everything.

 “I… will have to check when Professor Thace isn’t using the room for the other kids. We could work something out with him for your… _lessons_.” He says, jaw flexing once more. 

 “Thank you so much King Shiro, you’re the literal best.” You turn your attention back to High Priestess Honerva. She seems to have her own nasty smile on her face, perhaps taking joy in making Shiro so uncomfortable.

 “We should definitely start with the basics. What would I need to start the lessons with?” You ask her as you get up.

 “Oh well --” She rises up out of her seat when you do. You hook your arm around hers even though it makes you want to light your arm on fire. 

 “When should we start? Mornings or evenings?” You start to lead her out of the stateroom and into the hallway.

 “It would depend on what I’m teaching you and what you work best with.” She says, doing her best to keep up with your quick pace and longer legs.

 “Well we clearly have a lot of work to do.” You chuckle.


	9. Wrong Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some trigger warnings for this chapter include:  
> \- Violence   
> \- Murder  
> \- Hints at suicide/self harm/suicidal thoughts

        After you show High Priestess Honerva the study, you manage to catch Thace on his way to grade a few papers. You inform him of the new lessons you’ll be taking and ask him when the study is free. Thace gives High Priestess Honerva his schedule and a strained smile. He quickly and politely excuses himself after that.

        You try not to let that bother you. She’s a lot to handle. Thankfully she seems to keep her sticky Quintessence to herself this time. She doesn't give you too many details on what she'll be covering with you. However, she does tell you what items you’ll be needing for your first lesson, next week, some of which she will gather with you. 

        Eventually though, High Priestess Honerva does inform you that she is feeling quite tired from her travels. You let her go and excuse yourself for keeping her for so long. She pats your cheek in a way you find to be condescending. You walk her back to the main hall so that a carriage can take her home. 

        She pauses in front of the painting with the burned corner. The same one that always catches you. Shiro did mention that she used to spend a lot of time here before when he was younger, maybe she’d know something about it?

 “If I may, High Priestess?” You start.

 “Yes, my Prince?”

 “Do you know anything about this painting? The history of it at least. I find it to be an interesting piece.” You glance over at her. 

 “It’s quite a tragic tale really,” She crosses her arms behind her back. “They say the marriage between the King and Queen was cursed from the start.”

 “Oh? Why is that?” You look at the couple in the painting. 

 “She was Galran, he was not.” High Priestess Honerva says. 

 “So… Stoneheart really had been the capital for the Galran empire?”

 “Oh yes. And the marriage was going to create an alliance that would be for the good of the people.”

 “If it was for the good of the people, how was it tragic?” You look over at her.

 “Their son, the young Prince, suddenly snapped. No one knows why. During the night the prince slit his parents’ throats. Then fearing that he’d get caught he went on a murderous rampage and killed several house staff. By morning, he had lit the castle on fire and locked himself in the heart of the blaze.” She says, staring at the young Prince in the painting. 

 “That’s… awful.” You can’t help but wonder what it was like to be the King and Queen that night, the house staff that morning, or the survivors that day. 

 “They could not find the Prince’s body when the fire had died out. Many say he was taken to the Hells below. That he walked down to greet the Gods with arms wide open instead of being dragged down.” 

 “And you?” You ask her.

 “Hmm?” She raises an eyebrow.

 “What do you think happened to him?”

 “I think he suffers for his crimes to this very day.” High Priestess Honerva smiles, unsettling your gut once more. 

 “I wonder what happened to him, though.” 

 “In the end?”

 “No, what made him snap.” You cross your arms. She falls silent as she turns her attention back to the painting. 

 “You know, my prince, when I was talking to Princess Allura and King Shirogane I had told them the reasons for my words. I realized I hadn’t told you yet.”

 “You were just nervous, it happens.” You smile and shrug. 

 “It wasn’t just that. When I had felt your Quintessence, I saw a glimpse of your fate.”

 “My fate?”

 “Yes. It would have not ended well I’m sad to say. There was this… _thought_ you’ve had and it was going to lead you down a dark path with an abrupt ending.” She says. 

 “Was I going to…. hurt someone?”

 “Yourself.” She turns to you. 

 “Then, why did you say what you did? Surely you would have known it could’ve pushed me closer.” You dig your fingers into your arms to keep yourself from glaring at her.

 “I knew that I had to intervene somehow. I felt the best method was to scare you. I apologize again for my actions and words. I see now that there were other ways I could have handled it.” She curtsies for you once more. You wave a hand.

 “I’ve already forgiven you.”

 “I know my prince, I’m simply explaining myself better.” She smiles.

 “Why do you keep calling me that?” You ask her.

 “Calling you what?”

  _"My_ Prince. I’m not Alfor’s son, I’m not from Altea. I have no governing power over Alteans either. I wouldn’t be _your_ prince.” 

 “You may not be no, but you are still worthy of my deepest respect.” 

        A house servant comes up to you both and announces the carriage is ready to take High Priestess Honerva home. You thank him and lead her outside. 

 “Be safe on your way home, High Priestess.” You tell her as you help her into her carriage.

 “Be safe as well, my Prince,” She says. “There are things that wish to do you harm in this castle. I’d be wary of who is closest to you.” She says, glancing towards the rooftops. She sits back and tells the driver she is ready. The carriage pulls away as the sun starts to set.

 “Don’t worry. I’ll be wary alright.” You mumble to yourself as you head back inside. You stare at the painting once more, frowning. You hope to not meet the same fate as that Prince. 

        You head to your room to try and relax a bit before dinner. No doubt you’ll be dragged into a _talk_ with Allura. Especially considering that you called your abilities a ‘gift’ and asked for lessons. You spot Shiro talking with Ulaz further down the hallway. You can’t hear anything from here but Shiro seems to be _agitated_ in someway. He’s making full body gestures, throwing both arms around as he moves back and forth.

        It’s the most animated you’ve ever seen him. It almost looks like he’s having a breakdown. Ulaz simply watches Shiro, giving a nod or a head shake when needed. Apparently, Ulaz has heard enough when he reaches out and rests his hand on Shiro’s chest. Whatever he says seems to put Shiro at ease.

        You should _probably_ leave before either of them notice you. But of course, when you make that thought, Shiro tilts his head and catches sight of you. You walk over to them, pretending you didn’t see any of that. 

 “Lance.” Shiro says.

 “Hey. I think you’d like to know that High Priestess Honerva has left for the day.” You inform him. 

 “Thank you. I am glad to hear it.” 

 “King Shirogane, would you like me to give you a moment with Prince Lance?” Ulaz asks.

 “Actually, yes please, Ulaz.” Shiro says. Ulaz gives you both a bow and steps further down the hall. _You’re in big trouble._

 “What did you want to talk about Shiro?” 

 “I understand you want to learn more about Quintessence and how to control your abilities, and I don’t want to keep you from that. However, I’m not sure that I agree with who you’re willing to take on as your instructor.” He rests his hand on his hip. 

 “She’s a High Priestess --”

 “She _hurt_ you Lance,” Shiro cuts you off. “Don’t forget that. She _hurt_ you.”

 “I... “ You chew on your cheek. She hadn’t meant to though, she just wanted to spook you and put you down the right path. _Right?_

 “She hurt me. I _know_ she’ll tell you something pretty to cover up what happened and make you doubt yourself,” He says softly. “Why would you ask her to teach you?” He sounds so torn up.

 “Shiro… I know she makes you uncomfortable, I _know_ she hurt you. And I’m not asking her to teach me to get at you for anything.” You play with your hands. You notice some more tension drain out of his shoulders. _He really thought you…_ You frown softly.

 “Then?”

 “Look. Something is weird about her. I’ll admit it. Honerva came to you and messed you up. Then she suddenly reappears when Allura and I do? Targets me specifically? Something is...wrong.” You finally say, getting what had been bothering you the most about your first encounter off your chest. 

 “You think she’s plotting something?” He asks, face turning serious.

 “I don’t know. But the only way to find out is to, well, get her to talk. And I’m good at getting people to talk.”

 “That is really, _really_ , dangerous.”

 “I know. But she got away with hurting you and me, and we can’t bring her to justice by just letting her walk around.”

 “I’m not using you, my fiancée’s _cousin_ , as bait. Our engagement is strained enough as it is.” He runs his hand through his hair. 

 “I’m willingly stepping into the lion’s den here Shiro. You can’t exactly stop me.” You say. He runs his hand over his face and chuckles lightly.

 “I can see you’ve had quite an influence on Allura,” He peeks out from between his fingers. “ _Stubborn_ when you think you’re on the right path.”

 “If it’s the right path, why would I want to go anywhere else?” You smile at him. He sighs and pulls his hand away, resting it on your shoulder. 

 “I want you to promise me something. If at any moment, Honerva becomes too much for you, makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in any way, you tell me. I’ll have her out of this castle so fast, she won’t even know what happened.”

 “I promise, Shiro.” You rest your hand on top of his.

 “In the meantime, do you mind if I look for a better teacher?” He asks. You laugh.

 “I mean, if it will let you sleep better at night.” You tease. 

 “Thank you.” He squeezes your shoulder. 

 “I’ll see you at dinner?” 

 “Of course.” He lets you go and heads down the hallway where Ulaz had gone. You wave and continue to head for your room.

        The sun has finished going down by the time your reach your bedroom door. You sigh and rest your head against it. It’s been quite a long day and your thankful it’s nearly over. You, however, feel a presence behind you and when you straighten up a large shadow is cast over you and the door. You gasp and whirl around.

 “Hey.” Keith says. 

 “Bloody Mary, skin me alive! You can’t keep doing this to me!” You press your hand to your chest. 

 “I--”

 “What are you even doing _in_ here? How did you get _in_?”

 “I used the door.” He gestures down the hallway. 

 “Oh my gods,” You grab him by his arm and yank him into your room. “You can’t just _wander_ the hallways!”

 “ Why not? It’s my _home_.” He complains. You kick the door closed and push him against the wall.

 “It might be _your_ home, but you are also nearly 8 feet of terror for someone who’s mundane!” He looks down at your hands and then up at you. 

 “You wanted to see me again, didn’t you?”

 “Well, yes! But! Ugh!” You let him go and rub your face. “Look, it’s not you. It’s just been a crazy day.” 

 “Tell me about it. I witnessed two pigeons fighting over a dead squirrel. All while a handmaid was fucking a stable boy in the gardens.” 

 “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not. But if you are, then yeah, you win.” You laugh. A small smile spreads across his face. 

 “You want to talk about it?” He asks. 

 “Maybe after dinner.” You tell him as you step over to your vanity. 

 “Fair enough.” He trails after you like a lost puppy. You grab the sheet that you had folded up on the chair earlier today and toss it over the mirror for Keith. When you turn to face him, he’s looking at what you’ve done. 

 “Thanks.” He murmurs.

 “Of course,” You tell him. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

 “I feel the day you don’t have a question would be the end of days.” He teases. 

 “Ha ha.” You stick your tongue out at him. He scoffs. 

 “Go for it.”

 “You mentioned knowing magick, so do you know any… protection spells?” You ask, thinking about Honerva.

 “Well, that depends.”

 “On?”

 “What you need protection from and why you need it.”

 “Why I need it, makes a difference?”

 “Yeah, a big one. It’s the intent. For example, say you want some spell to protect you from the law. You could want it because you’re going to go commit a few crimes, or you could want it because you’re being wrongfully accused.” He explains.  

 “Huh. Well, that makes sense I suppose.” You tap your chin.

 “So, if I may, what is it you need protecting from and why?” He asks. You sigh and sit on your bed.

 “Remember how someone had put their bad mojo on me last night?” 

 “I do.” He grabs a chair and straddles it backwards again.

 “Well, her name is Honerva. She came to apologize about it. And I… may or may not have, potentially, maybe, made a mistake?” You look down at your hands. Keith is silent and you glance up at him. He’s giving you a blank look.

 “So, what did you do?” He asks flatly, cutting to the chase. _Gods there’s no beating around the bush with this guy._

 “I… asked her to teach me magick.”

  _Teach_ you?”

 “She’s a High Priestess, Keith! She knows some things about Quintessence, and I want to know what she’s plotting,” You cross your arms and huff. “But… that’s the thing. I don’t know what she’s up to and she’s dangerous but I don’t want to get hurt.” You say softly. 

 “So wait, let me get this straight. This _High Priestess_ put a hex on you, a crowned Prince. Which, mind you, is pretty much on the same level as, y’know, a threat or an assassination attempt. And you, invited her to come back and teach you? What’s next, tea time with the Devil? ‘Oh yes thank you Lucy for the tea. Oh Death you’ve made a lovely cake today. High Priestess what did you put in the poison it’s to _die_ for!’” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. 

 “Okay, okay, I get it! You think it was stupid.”

 “Oh I don’t _think_ it. It _is_ stupid. What the hell were you thinking?” He crosses his arms. 

 “Look, if I hadn’t accepted her apology she could have done something worse. And if I had _only_ accepted it she _still_ could have hurt me. So maybe if I invite her back under good pretenses, I can keep a close eye on her.”

 “A close eye on her? And what will you do?”

 “I… Well… “

 “Magick is not a game. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you can only nudge and see Quintessence, what will you do when she launches full on attack? Do you have any training in using your Quintessence past a parlor trick?” He narrows his eyes at you. You flex your jaw and consider his words, as cutting as they are. Keith is right, sadly. If High Priestess Honerva ran at you with a knife or a physical attack you could fight back. But this is out of your league.

 “Mistakes were made. But I have to deal with it. Maybe I can learn something useful!”

 “From her?”

 “Well Shiro mentioned looking for a new teacher…”

 “By the time he finds one suitable for you, you’ll have a head full of white hair from the purification they’ll have to do to you, if you even survive that long.” 

 “First of all I would look amazing with all white hair because Allura looks great with it, and _I’m_ the prettier cousin. Secondly, as much as I hate to admit it… you’re probably right about that.” You sigh. 

 “Okay, let’s go with this, _hypothetical_ situation in which you _did_ know how to defend yourself. You’d still be shit out of luck. She’s a High Priestess and has had years to train and hone her abilities.”

 “She’s not untouchable Keith! Everything has a weakness! Iron for spirits, salt for demons, a handful of seeds for vampires. So what if she can just _pow, pow, pow_ ,” You wiggle your fingers for emphasis. “With her Quintessence? She has to have a weakness.”

 “With all due respect Prince Lance, what the fuck was that.” He raises his brows.

 “Y’know?” You continue wiggling your fingers. He just looks at them then to you and shakes his head. 

 “Look man, I just want to know why me? Why now? And with her Quintessence being eerily similar to the Quintessence in the crawlspace it really makes me wonder what she’s up to.”

 “Crawlspace? What crawlspace?” He asks. Does he not know about the crawlspace that connects his room to the study?

 “Uh, the one that’s like a secret tunnel?” You offer.

 “There’s a lot of secret tunnels around Stoneheart, you’re going to have to be more specific.”

 “The one that goes from your room to the study.” 

 “The one that -- Wait is _that_ how you got into my room?” 

 “No Keith, I flew over there. You’re not the only one with wings.” You roll your eyes. 

 “Fuck you.”

 “Aren’t you grumpy.” You mumble. 

 “I’m not grumpy, I’m just trying to figure out what the hell you think you’re doing since you apparently did not learn your lesson the first time.”

 “Again, she’s up to something and I need to know what it is.” You grunt.

 “Do you _really_ need to or do you want some sort of revenge for what she did?” He crosses his arms.

 “I -- You have some nerve.”

 “Ah, so it is revenge. You could have just started with that. I know quite a lot that can fall under that category.”

 “Ugh! No! I don’t necessarily want to hurt her. I want her to pay for what she did to me sure, but more in a legal way.”

 “You’re honestly just more likely to get yourself killed than anything. No wonder her hex worked so well, you have a deathwish.”

 “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” You sigh.

 “This isn’t the most healthy coping mechanism for it.”

 “I’ve already started this and I’m going to see it through. So are you going to help me or not?” You huff. He looks you over, jaw flexing as he thinks.

 “Fine. I’ll help. Only because you’re worth more to me alive than dead.”

 “Wow. Thanks.” You roll your eyes.

 “Don’t get me wrong this is still a terrible idea and you’re going about this the worst way possible. But I’d rather you live through it.”

 “And what praytell, do you plan on doing to help me?”

 “Let me teach you.”

 “Teach me?”

 “At the very least to keep you from getting killed immediately. Maybe to help counter the stuff she’ll try to do to you.” He hums and taps his claws along the chair as he mumbles to himself.

 “So, you’ll teach me?” You ask slowly, confirming it with him.

 “I’ll try. I can only show you what I know though. Some of it might not be compatible with your base or at the very least be difficult.” 

 “My base?”

 “The color of your Quintessence, your main element alignment.” He tells you.

 “Look at that, I’m already learning,” You smile. “You’re really going to help me with this?”

 “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to --” You hear a knock at your door. 

 “Prince Lance?” Romelle calls out.

 “Uh… Just a moment!” You give Keith a panicked look. You shoot up off your bed and drag Keith to your closet. You quickly shove him inside despite his complaints. 

 “C-come on in!” You close the closet door and lean against it. Romelle enters and gives you a look. She then sighs.

 “Now how many people are in your closet?” She asks.

 “No one’s in my closet!” You laugh. Something in your closet thumps. You close your eyes and bite back a groan. 

 “Nevermind. I don’t want to know.” Romelle huffs and rubs her forehead.

 “Thank you.”

 “I was just here to let you know that dinner was ready. Should I tell them you’re… _occupied_?” She spits out.

 “No! No, no, no. I’m not -- I am _not_ occupied. I’ll just, take a quick shower and be right down!” You smile brightly at her.

 “Mhmm,” She looks very pointedly at your closet. “Tell them to be gone once you’re heading out.” She gives you a fake smile and turns on her heel. 

 “Thank you Romelle.” You groan as she leaves. When the door shuts you sigh and step away from the closet. Keith pushes the door open, a few of your clothes are caught on his wings and horns. 

 “Sorry.” You apologize as you try to help him.

 “Don’t be. Nice quick thinking, it could’ve been really bad,” He says as you help him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been shoved into a closet before.” He says once you have him freed.

 “Question.”

 “Answer.”

 “Listen here you.” You huff and jab him with your finger.

 “I am listening.” He groans.

 “Ugh! So, like, are you in hiding from everyone in the castle or do you not care about who sees you? Because you just walking down the hallways like you own the place is very different from scaring me all the time.”

 “I do own the place and I’m not hiding. I’m just, careful about who sees me.”

 “So, you’re hiding.”

 “No I’m not.”

 “Dude, that’s like the very definition of hiding!” You throw your arms up. He shakes his head.

 “No it’s not.”

 “Well okay, so you let _me_ see you. But why?”

 “I saw you ready to jump from your balcony. What did you expect me to do? Tell you to make my night and do a flip?” He shrugs.

 “You’re horrible!” You tell him sarcastically and shake your head as you head off to your bathroom. He follows behind you again and you have to press your hands to his chest to keep him from walking in with you. _Oh, hello pecs._

 “Now what?” He asks.

 “I have to take a shower.” You whine. 

 “Oh, you… you were being serious about that.” He steps back.

 “Yeah,” You snort. “Why don’t you sit in your chair and wait?” You wave him off as you close the door. 

        You make the shower quick, mostly rinsing off the grime of the day. You double check your Quintessence but nothing seems to be wrong with it. Thankfully, all the webbings from before are gone. You step out and start to dry yourself off when you realize you didn’t bring in a change of clothes. And you _refuse_ to put on your old ones back on.

 “Ugh…” You sigh and wrap the towel around your waist. You step out of the bathroom and hear a soft gasp. Keith is… still here.

 “What are you doing?” You ask him. He stares at you, eyes following a bead of water dripping down your chest. It makes your face feel very warm.

 “Keith?” You prompt him again, tightening your grip on your towel.

 “Huh?” He snaps his eyes back up to yours.

 “What are you doing?” You squawk.

 “You told me to sit at my chair!”

 “I thought you’d leave.” You whine. 

 “Why do you keep thinking I’ll leave?” He asks. You go over to your closet and pick out one of the outfits Keith had been tangled in before.

 “I don’t know. I just don’t expect you to stay. It’s not like anyone else does.” You turn around and catch him staring at you once more. Your ears are burning now too. 

 “Could you like, turn around or close your eyes?” You ask as you wave your clothes in your hands around.

 “Oh! Uh! Sorry.” He snaps his eyes closed. You watch him cover them with his hands before he pulls his wings up and around his head. You quickly change and then towel dry your hair. 

 “You’re good.” You tell him. He slowly uncurls and looks up at you. You spread your arms out and he looks you over. 

 “You look nice.” He says. 

 “Thanks. Now, I’m off to go eat. Unless you want to join us?” You offer. He shakes his head. 

 “I’ll look through my stuff to see if I have anything for a protection spell,” He says, getting up. “We can meet up back in here when you’re done.” 

 “Agreed.” You say ,making your way to your bedroom door. 

        You look over your shoulder and watch him walk out to the balcony and get onto the railing. His wings spread wide open and he leaps off. It doesn’t scare you as badly the second time as it did the first. With that, you make quick work of getting down to the dining room. 

        When you enter, you see that plates have already been set. It’s fine though, it did take you a bit to get down and you didn’t _quite_ expect them to wait for you. Okay, well, maybe you did. But it happens. 

 “Oh Lance! We weren’t expecting you!” Allura greets you. You give her a confused look as you take your place. 

 “We’re glad you decided to join us though.” Shiro smiles as he sips his drink.

 “What are you talking about?” You look over at him. He simply shakes his head.

 “Well, Romelle was telling us that you were not going to be able to join us tonight because you had some _company_ that you were entertaining.”

 “Oh my go -- It wasn’t -- I -- ugh!” You sputter and look over at Romelle, betrayed. She simply ignores you  and continues to eat her food.

 “It’s alright! At least you’re not _engaged_ to anyone. You can entertain whoever you wish.” Allura says. 

 “You could’ve invited them down for dinner. I don’t think anyone here would have minded.” Shiro says, looking over at both Allura and Romelle. 

 “It’s not like that! I swear!” You fling your arms out and nearly hit a waitress. You are quick to apologize to her and she simply smiles and sets food out for you. 

 “Now you’re getting defensive about it.” Allura teases you.

 “Me? Defensive? While being wrongfully accused?” You cross your arms and pout. She chuckles and waves her hands.

 “Alright, alright, I’ll drop it. But you know you can’t keep secrets from me, cousin.” _Oh how wrong she is_ , you think to yourself. 

 “And what secrets are you talking about this time?” You ask her.

 “Like you _wanting_ lessons in Quintessence! I knew you were interested before, but I’m glad you’re finally admitting to it,” She claps her hands together. “My father would be so pleased to hear about it.”

 “Yeah, _your_ father.” You roll eyes without really thinking. Her face falls a bit. 

 “I know it’s a bit difficult given our respective cultures but I think your father would warm up to it if he knew what you could do.” 

 “Maybe.” You fake a smile. There’s unfortunately no way it would happen though.

 “And from a High Priestess no less! No one is better to teach you than that.” Allura smiles brightly once again, oblivious to Shiro’s frown.

 “I’m sure there are other people who are just as qualified in teaching about Quintessence.” He says softly into his goblet. _Like a beast perhaps._

 “But a High Priest or Priestess has undergone rigorous trials and have demonstrated their mastery of their abilities.” Allura looks over at Shiro. He doesn’t have a response, or if he does, he keeps it to himself this time. 

 “High Priestess Honerva just, happens to be here. Right place and right time y’know?” You offer. 

 “Either way, I’m glad you’re taking her on as your instructor.” She finishes her meal.

 “It’s gonna be great.” You smile, but you’re heart isn’t in it.

        You don’t take much longer than the others to finish up your meal. Allura offers you to join her outside while she checks out the stars, something you would have jumped on in a heartbeat if Keith wasn’t going to be waiting for you in your room. You mention that you are a bit tired and that you had made plans with Romelle to do just that tomorrow night.  With that in mind, you politely decline. She gives you a teasing smirk and lets you excuse yourself. 

        It would be better if she didn’t assume you were actively with someone. But alas, you’ll take the excuse this time. You open your bedroom door and find it’s nearly pitch black. All the lights you usually have on are currently off. Save from the small, dim, flickering orbs a bit further in. You close the door behind you and step closer. 

 “Keith?” You ask when you finally make out his shape in the candlelight.

 “Oh, hey, perfect timing. I hope you don’t mind but I got the space set up for us.” He looks over at you, eyes glowing in the dark.

 “Whaaaat are we doing? Summoning something?” You can’t help but ask when you notice the candles are arranged in a large circle. 

 “Oh yeah. We’re totally summoning a protection demi-god. His name is Con of Dom.” Keith says voice flat and rolling his eyes. 

 “You could’ve just said _no_.” You cross your arms as you stand outside of the circle.

 “But where’s the fun in that?” He asks. 

 “So what exactly did you do?”  

 “I purified this space here,” He gestures to the circle. “Do you have a small mirror, preferably one you can hold in one hand?” He asks.

 “Uh, yeah. I think I do? Should I go get it?”

 “Yes please.” He says, grabbing a thick book next to him. You go over to your vanity and open the drawers until you find what you were looking for. It’s a hand-held mirror, with a longer handle to it. Normally, you’d use it when having to do any tidying up to your back, such as making sure your hair isn’t too long. 

 “Will this work?” You ask him as you come back. He has his book opened and laying flat on the ground. He looks up from the pages and checks out what you’ve grabbed. He hums and takes it from you, inspecting the handle more closely. 

 “You have a ribbon we can thread through here?” He asks, tapping where a hole is drilled into it. You go over to your desk.

 “Does color matter?” You ask.

 “Preferably white, but it shouldn’t have an effect.” He tells you. You pull out one of your bookmarks from your textbook. It’s more silvery in color than white but you bring it back. You go to offer it to him but he pats the space in front of him for you to sit.

 “C’mon in.”

 “Okay.” You enter the circle and sit, crossing your legs, in front of him. He hands you back the mirror.

 “Thread the ribbon through and knot it. It’ll need to hang up when we’re done.” He tells you. You nod and knot the ends of the ribbon together, then slide the loop through the hole. Once halfway through, you tuck the knotted end into the loop and pull it through.

 “Ta-da!” You show it off to him. 

 “Amazing.” He snorts and rolls his eyes again. 

 “Jerk.” 

 “Let’s get started.” He says as he hands you a small white cloth.

 “Okay, what do I do with this. Blow my nose?” You ask, waving the cloth around.

 “First you listen.” He tells you, picking his book up. 

 “Yes my good sir.” You roll your eyes and mock him.

 “Put the mirror in your non-dominant hand, you’ll hold it to the lights and polish it with the cloth I gave you. Moving counterclockwise with the polishing.” 

 “Alright.” You say moving the mirror to your left hand to be ready.

 “While you polish, you’re going to repeat the following: _‘Reflect back with light and blessings; all malice, spite, and danger whether it be from false friend, foe, or stranger’_.”

 “I don’t think I’m going to remember all of that.” You chew your cheek.

 “You will, trust me.”

 “Then what?” 

 “When the mirror begins to shine you’ll set the cloth down and say: _‘So it is reflected back with light and blessings; all malice, spite, and danger from those who are a false friend, foe and stranger, returned back to where it rightfully belongs’_.” He reads from his book. 

 “Please tell me you’ll remind me.” You groan. 

 “If I have to, but you’ll get it, trust me.”

 “And is that it?”

 “Finally, we extinguish all the candles, and you hang the mirror up over there,” He points to your wall where you are _fairly_ certain a painting used to be. “Mirror side out, facing your door. Repeat weekly.” He instructs.

 “You make it seem as though you’ve done this a million times.” You chuckle nervously as you trace the frame of the mirror you’re holding.

 “I’ve had a lot of spare time on my hands.” He shrugs. All of this feels _too_ casual. Who sits in the middle of a candle circle, with a fae, about to cast a spell and it just feels like it’s another Sunday night? You _do_ apparently.

        You feel no spark, no excitement. It’s as though you’re acting out a role in a play that you were not interested in auditioning for. Even if you don’t know what it is you should be feeling you are rather certain it is not supposed to be this. 

 “Prince Lance?” Keith taps your knee with one of his claws, “Are you still with me?” He asks. 

 “Yeah, sorry.” You try to offer him a smile but he doesn’t seem to be buying it. 

 “Do you _not_ want to cast this spell?” He furrows his eyebrows.

 “No, it’s not that. It’s not the spell,” You gently set the mirror down and sigh. “It’s me.” 

 “It’s _you_?” 

 “I don’t think I can cast it right. I don’t know what to do.” You throw your arms up.  
  
 “I already told you, you take the mirror, polish it in counter-” 

 “No, no, no!” You cut him off. “It cannot be that easy. This isn’t a _spell_ , this is a wish. And wishes do _not_ come true just because you hope they do!” You protest loudly. 

 “That’s enough.” Keith warns you with a deep growl that sends a shiver down your spine. He gets up and steps out of the circle. He clenches and unclenches his fists. 

 “You’re not _wishing_ upon a star like you would when you were a child. It’s so much stronger than that,” He explains as he begins to pace around the perimeter of the circle. “You’re putting your _intent_ in being safe and protected against those who would wish and do you harm for this spell.” He explains as he glares at you. 

  
        You remain seated and accept the scolding while he moves about the room. He’s irritated and you’re not sure if it’s at you or at your incompetence. You bow your head and stare at the mirror at your side. 

 “Your intent is your _will_ , it is your force, your drive to exist. The very thing that gives your Quintessence its energy.” He says, still pacing around the candles. You watch as his reflection appears and disappears in the mirror. 

 “You cannot convince me that your will to live is _weak_ , Lance. You were corrupted, your _Quintessence_ corrupted, and instructed to jump off a balcony just last night. But you rejected that, you _questioned_ it, you were easy to distract and you kept both feet on the ground!” He points an incriminating finger at you as his voice steadily rises.

 “As alluring as your words are, I’m sure anyone would have been distracted with a _beast_ on their balcony.” You spit back. 

 “You still hesitated! You still asked!” He stops right in front of you. 

 “So what?” You shoot up to your feet. 

 “So use _it!_ Grab that part of you and pull him to the front.”

 “That was just me being a coward!” Gosh you can feel tears starting to build up in your eyes. He flinches away from your statement.

 “It’s not cowardly to want to live,” He says as his voice suddenly gets soft. “To be free.”

 “Be free?” 

 “Look, just -- Forget it!” He snaps, hands reaching up and tugging harshly at his horns. 

 “May I remind you that you weren’t distracting me but scaring the shit out of me! I was trying to escape from you by jumping over the railing!”

 “Oh shut up!” He growls. 

 “No! _You_ listen. Don’t pretend like you understand what I’m going through, because you don’t. I’m alone. I’m broken. And I’m _afraid_ . Everything I do seems to be like a fucking game to people. And I’m here, living with my cousin and her fiancé. Living in a castle full of maids and house staff and servants and _beasts_ ,” You point at him. “All because I couldn’t cope with my sister’s death. And I’ve been _denying_ who I am for years. Because if there was ever the slightest hint that I was something not _normal_ I would have been sent away and there would have been an empty throne back home.” You breathe harshly though your nose and ignore how bad your eyes are stinging now. 

 “I’ve been shipped from one family to another and now I’m here. But my cousin is too busy for me, the house staff won’t look at me, hells below, the King dropped me off at science daycare because he doesn’t want to deal with me. I’m so fucking alone. I’m so alone that I feel like I’m just going to snap and go batshit insane.”

 “Prince Lan--” 

 “And you know what, maybe I already did! I bet you’re not even real either.” You cut him off. He sighs softly. 

 “This again?” He crosses his arms. 

 “Yeah. This again. Because I bet you, when I close my eyes,” You say as you do just that and close them. “Focus in on that _intent_ crap. I’ll open them and you will have just, poof! Disappeared.” You wave your arms around and then cover your closed eyes with them. And Keith falls silent. 

        It’s _too_ quiet actually. Your hands are shaking as you pull them away and you slowly open your eyes. Your room is empty. Your shoulders slump, breath seizing in your chest. _You… you really made him up._ Fuck, you really _are_ alone now. _It’s what you wanted isn’t it? So why are you so upset?_ The start of a sob bursts out of your chest.

 “I’m still here.” Keith whispers in your ear. You jolt and whip around to find him standing behind you.

 “Asshole!” You slap at his shoulders before stepping a bit closer. Your hands rest on his arms, you just need to feel him and know he’s real.

 “Do you know why I’m still here?” He asks you. You choke back on another sob and sniffle. You shake your head.

 “Because not once has anyone ever seen me and wanted a repeat encounter. Not once has anyone come _looking_ for me. Not only that but,” He shifts his wings off of his back and brings them around you both. “You _asked_ me to be here. And you still haven’t asked me to leave yet, so I’m still here.” He murmurs. You rest your head against his chest and try to steady yourself. He stiffens for a moment and then his claws card through your hair gently.

 “I just… I just want to be okay, to learn, to accept myself for who I am.”

 “And you will. But to do that, you have to be safe and protected.” Keith says. He cradles you in his wingspan until you stop shaking.

 “I feel pretty safe and protected here.” You finally say as you look up at him. He gives you a soft smile.

 “Do you want to try again?” He asks. 

 “Yeah.” You wipe your face and lean back. Keith pulls his wings away from you and takes your hands in his. He holds them carefully as if you’re made of spun glass. He guides you back to the center of the circle and pulls you down to sit with him.  

 “Remember what I told you?” He asks. 

 “Yeah, I got it.” You say. He raises an eyebrow and you pout a bit. You pick the mirror up in your left hand and the cloth in your right.

 “I polish this mirror counterclockwise, say a neat little poem, and then hang it up.”

 “You have to put your _will,_ your Quintessence, into it too.” He tells you.

 “Okay, yeah. Let’s do this.” 

 “Then take a deep breath, and center yourself. You’ll do great, trust me.” He pats your leg and sits upright. He closes his eyes and takes slow deep breaths. You copy his rhythm, breathing deeply and centering yourself the way you do when you try to meditate. One small spell should be easy enough, and then you can take on whatever High Priestess Honerva can throw at you no sweat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who wrote a ton more and then forgot to post it! It worked out in the end since I went back and made other revisions to them but the point remains lol


	10. Titivate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol it's just in time for Lance's birthday soooo  
> Happy birthday to Lance!  
> Have another chapter

        You stifle a yawn, while you sit in the study the next morning. Since it’s now Monday, your new friends should be showing up for their classes. Thace has yet to arrive and Pidge and Hunk aren’t due for another few hours. It doesn’t stop you from being here early on the off chance you’ll catch them first. You really want to see them. 

        You want to tell them you met the Beast, met Keith. You want to share what you’ve learned about him. But at the same time, you’re hesitant. How much should you share? Are you even supposed to? Keith said himself that he wasn’t hiding, but he is also selective about who sees him in the first place. You lean back in your chair as you think about this and try not to nod off. Staying up late two nights in a row has already thrown your body out of whack.  _ You just need to rest your eyes a bit.  _

        After casting the spell Keith had given you, you were rather drained. He had said it was normal and that you should rest. But honestly, you hadn’t wanted him to leave. He stayed for as long as he could again, and had shared far less than he had the day before. You don’t recall getting into bed last night, but you certainly woke up in it.

 “Do you think he’s dead?” Asks a warm voice. 

 “Hell. Fucking. No. I do  _ not _ want to get blamed for this.” An irritated one replies. It takes quite the amount of strength to open your eyes. 

 “He lives!” Pidge snorts as they sit across from you at your table.

 “Oh man, I was so worried about you for a second,” Hunk sits next to them. “We kept nudging you but you weren’t responding.”

 “Yeah you were out cold. My science headcanon was that you got poisoned at lunch.”

 “The ultimate betrayal. Food.” Hunk holds his fist to his mouth and closes his eyes.

 “Hey guys. Sorry, I’m just a bit tired, I didn’t sleep too well last night.” You chuckle and stretch your arms above your head. 

 “Must be  _ so _ hard to be a prince and party all weekend.” Pidge leans against the table.

 “It wasn’t  _ all _ weekend.” You stick your tongue out at them.

 “It wasn’t?” Hunk asks.

 “Just Saturday.” 

 “How was it though? Was it fun? We got to see the fireworks from in town.”

 “Oh yeah the fireworks were great.” Pidge agrees.

 “It was alright, I spent most of the time greeting people.” You say.

 “Did you know any of them?” Pidge asks.

 “They were mostly the people Shiro entertains. His court and kingdom. A few VIPs from other countries sure, but no one I knew.” You shrug.

 “Did you get to meet Lady Amelia?” Hunk asks.

 “She’s from our town, one of our best professors!” Pidge adds on.

 “I don’t know. I could have but, there were a  _ lot _ of people I was introduced to. I don’t remember them all.” You give them a small apologetic look.

 “Aww man.” Pidge whines.

 “Who did you meet?” Hunk tilts his head.

 “Lady Irqa, Lord Francis, I think I met a Duchess? I don’t know if you would know anyone.” 

 “Yeah… Those names aren’t too familiar.” Pidge agrees. 

 “What about this High Priestess I met, Honerva?” You ask curiously.

 “Doesn’t ring any bells.” Hunk shakes his head.

 “Yeah, that’s for the best though honestly.” You sigh deeply.

 “Oh I feel there’s a story there.”

 “There is.”

 “Then share!” Pidge lightly swats your arm. “Don’t keep secrets from us!” Your stomach twists a bit at that. While you may have only known Hunk and Pidge for a few days they’ve very quickly become your closest friends. Not just that, but you feel like you can truly trust them. Besides, you’ve never exactly been one to bottle up your feelings before. 

 “She’s kinda… well she… Okay this does not leave this room.“ You start. They both lean in closer to you, excited.

 “Go on.” Pidge encourages.

 “So she’s  _ super _ creepy. And I mean creepy with a capital ‘C’. You open up a dictionary, there’s her picture listed under creepy.”

 “What’s so secretive about her though?”

 “Because she… she said some things that were harmful to me and she had to apologize about it. If she hears I find her to be creepy, then my attempts at diplomacy are shot.”

 “What did she say?” Hunk asks.

 “It’s… better if I didn’t repeat it.” 

 “It was that bad?”

 “Yeah,” You frown. “It just put me in a bad place like mentally you know? It took me all of Sunday to recover from it and even now it still has me a bit shaken up.” You sigh deeply.

 “Everything okay though?” Hunk asks you softly.

 “As okay as it can be, all things considered. At the very least I’ll make it through the night.” You joke.

 “If you’re okay then,” Pidge slams their hands down on the table. “How about a distraction. What do you say about going back up to the Beast’s room?” 

 “I made extra snickerdoodles this time.” Hunk sing-songs as he gestures to a woven basket resting on the table next to you. It’s covered but you can smell the freshly baked goodies inside. 

        As tempting as the cookies sound though, it has you feeling a bit uneasy to go into Keith’s room. At least, now that you’ve personally met him that is. It feels rather rude to just barge into someone else’s room without their permission.

 “I don’t know. You guys might want to count me out this time.” You tell them.

 “Aww, are you sure?” Hunk says at the same time Pidge screeches: “What do you mean, you’re not going!?” You rub your face and rest your cheek in your palm.

 “Look, the crawlspace is literally covered in bad energies that kind of remind me of Honerva’s if I’m being honest. It really took a toll on me and I’m not exactly down for a repeat encounter.” You sigh as you tell them. It’s a small white lie, and well, it  _ does _ have some basis in truth.

 “Is it that bad in there?” Hunk asks curiously. 

 “Yeah, it’s… really bad actually.” You frown. 

 “It doesn’t feel  _ that _ bad,” Pidge crosses their arms. “Maybe you’re just claustrophobic?”

 “Ugh, if you could see the residual Quintessence that lingers there you’d agree with me.” 

 “Wait, you can see  _ Quintessence _ ?” Pidge’s eyebrows shoot up their forehead. It takes you a moment to realize how casually you had thrown it out there. Perhaps you really are getting used to thinking this to be more of a gift than a curse.

 “Yeah, you can’t?” You tease them in an effort to sound  _ super _ casual.

 “Well to be fair, our senses aren’t like, super powerful when it comes to that stuff. We haven’t had our awakening.” Hunk shrugs. _ Awakening? _ You’ll have to ask Keith about it later.

 “You mentioned hearing your Nana after she had passed away. Can you only  _ hear _ things?” You ask him. 

 “Yeah. It’s  _ really _ creepy sometimes. I’ll just be minding my own business and then suddenly, boom,  _ tiny child laughter _ .” He shivers. 

 “I can see  _ some _ stuff. But most of the time it’s like, orbs of light or like, blurry but small creatures. The only thing I’ve ever seen clearly was Matt.” Pidge looks down at the table. There’s a tense moment that falls in the room. Hunk reaches over and softly rubs Pidge’s back. 

 “Well, if it makes a difference, I can see it, hear it, feel it, and it doesn’t make anything easier. In fact it just makes it harder for you to be able to tell the difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’.” How many wandering ghosts have you mistaken for a common person back home? How many of them had died recently and you hadn’t even noticed because they were still hanging around?

        And that’s just ghosts alone. That doesn’t even begin to count the various fae you have seen. Nor the Quintessence that ebbs and flows in the world around you. Being more aware just plain sucks. Pidge frowns before sighing. 

 “Well, at least if you saw the ghost of your sister you’d be able to talk to her. I can’t. I think he tries but, I can’t hear a word of what he’s saying.” They wrap their arms around themselves.

 “And he’s never around when I’m there. I think he’s just teasing you.” Hunk tries to give them a small smile. Their frown only deepens.

 “I wouldn’t want to see Veronica’s ghost.” You tell them.

 “Why not?” 

 “Because that would mean she isn’t resting.” You say.  _ Among other things at the least _ .

 “...Do you know what happened to her?” Pidge asks.

 “Pidge.” Hunk warns.

 “I don’t want to talk about it.” You say, shoulders getting tense.

 “Sorry, I… ugh I keep poking at sore spots for you.” Pidge runs their hand through their hair.

 “How about we go back a few steps. So you feel Quintessence  _ and _ see it too?” Hunk asks.

 “Yeah I can actually.” You give him a grateful smile.

 “That’s so cool. What does mine feel like?” He asks. You reach out with your Quintessence and gently push against his. As it did before, it recedes away from you, shy and apologetic.

 “Stable, but shy y’know? Warm and like home.” You tell him as you pull yours back to yourself. 

 “Mine next!” Pidge bounces slightly. You push out to them. Their Quintessence immediately latches onto yours.

 “Curious, and chaotic. A bit overwhelming but I think it’s more me than you.” You joke as you pry it away from them.

 “What do you mean?”

 “Like you literally suck me up. Whereas Hunk’s actually pulls away from me. It’s a lot like how you two are.” You let your Quintessence settle back down around you. 

 “That is  _ super _ cool.” Pidge has wide eyes and you have a feeling they’re thinking of all the possibilities.

 “I guess, but I’m not even sure why Veronica and I were extra talented in this area compared to the rest of my family,” You hum and tap your fingers on the desk. “Do you think it’s a miracle or something?”

 “I mean it could be. Miracles  _ are _ a thing.” Pidge shrugs.

 “Wait,  _ you _ believe in miracles?” You raise an eyebrow. 

 “Well yeah. Miracles are by definition something that science cannot explain.  _ Yet. _ So they’re bound to happen every once and awhile.” 

 “It is also something that cannot be explained by natural laws and is often considered to be the work of the Gods.” Thace adds in, causing you all to jump. He simply smiles and waves at you three from where he’s leaning against the table across from you.  __ How long has he been standing there?  
  


_ _

_  
  _ “Uh… Professor Thace!” Hunk waves at him.

 “Y-yeah how’ve you been?” Pidge smiles.  _ Why are these two like this? _

 “I’ve been well thank you.” He nods politely at them. You decide to bite the bullet.

 “Hey Thace, what do you think about Quintessence?” You ask. Hunk and Pidge look at you with shocked expressions. 

 “What are you doing?” Pidge whisper-yells at you.

 “That question seems to be a bit broad. Are you asking me on my opinion of its usage in our modern society or of its existence?” Thace asks as he leans forward.

 “Well like, it clearly exists.” You shrug.

 “You’d be surprised as to who would disagree with you.”

 “Do you?”

 “Oh no, I believe it exists in some way. But it’s hard to prove.” Thace hums.

 “What about spirits? Do you believe in spirits?” You ask.

 “I’ve seen a ghost or two before. I think it’s fair to say that they can coexist within our realm.” 

 “What about fae?” 

 “Fae? I’ve never had the pleasure of encountering one before. Or at the very least not to my knowledge.”

 “So does that mean you don’t believe in them?” Hunk furrows his brows.

 “It can be a bit hard to believe in what you can’t experience.” Thace tells him.

 “But you believe in Quintessence.” Pidge points out.

 “I believe in it as an extension of one’s soul.”

 “But you can’t ‘experience’ a soul.” Pidge crosses their arms.

 “I disagree. My body lives through the impulses and directions my brain gives. But my thoughts and feelings? The body would not care if I loved my husband, my body would not care if I wanted to pet a dog on my way here, and my body simply wouldn’t care if I conducted today’s lesson or not. However my soul, one of the most  _ quintessential _ parts of me, does care. And that is how I know it exists.” 

 “The difference between being alive and living.” You murmur.

 “Precisely. And Quintessence itself is an extension of that. So, therefore, it must exist to some extent.” 

 “So you believe in Quintessence and spirits, but not fae or the Beast?” You raise an eyebrow.

 “The Beast seems to be quite the popular topic around here lately,” Thace crosses his arms as he gives you all a knowing look. “Especially with you three.” 

 “What? No!” Hunk laughs uneasily and rubs the back of his neck.

 “Do you think you’re my  _ only _ students who have ever tried to hunt it down?”

 “Okay, well, maybe not. But I bet we’re the closest!” Pidge crosses their arms and tilts their chin up. Hunk covers his face and whines.

 “Oh really?” Thace raises an eyebrow.

 “Just a gut feeling.” They nod.

 “We’re not trying to  _ hunt  _ the Beast down,” You give Pidge a look. “We just want to learn more about him.” 

 “He does not exist.” Thace shakes his head.

 “Yeah he does!” Pidge stomps a foot.

 “You have a  _ theory _ . Theories must be proven before they can be claimed as facts. Your predecessors on the Beast hunt have never been able to get the evidence and conclusive data about the Beast. Therefore, it does not exist.”

 “But he does exist. I’ve seen him, I’ve heard him, I’ve --” You cut yourself off.  _ You’ve talked to him and touched him and had cast a spell with him _ . Thace gives you a curious look, one that feels strange. It’s almost as if he’s looking right through you. You try not to crumble under his gaze, but it’s hard.

 “Regardless, without proof there is no way the Beast could be considered a real entity. We must accept that there is nothing but local legends. All of which were probably created to make their children behave.” Thace says, pushing himself off the table and heading for the front of the room.

 “Make children behave my left tit.” Pidge grumbles under their breath. Hunk nudges them with his elbow.

 “However, when it comes to creation of things, we do know for a fact how stars are created.” Thace continues, ignoring Pidge’s comment. You know this to mean that class has begun and to hold your followup questions for later.

        You behave and take notes on the sheets of paper that you’ve borrowed from Hunk and Pidge. You go over the creation of stars and the birth of the universe. Thace tells you about different kinds of stars and their theorized sizes. When he mentions constellations, you are quick to jump in with the knowledge you have.

        You hadn’t known how long you shared until Thace is smiling at you softly. He has to interrupt you to let you know his class time is over but he’s more than happy to let you continue to talk about the constellations. You can feel your ears burn as you duck your face down and stare at the table.

 “I had been unaware of how enamored you were with the stars, Prince Lance. It’s certainly not a bad thing. It’s rather impressive.” He chuckles as he gathers his supplies.

 “How do you know this much about the constellations but nothing about astrology?” Hunk asks you curiously.

 “Well like, when Professor Thace called me a Leo the first thing I thought of  _ was  _ the constellation. I just didn’t know what it had to do with anything.” You murmur and shrug.

 “Now you do, and man, it’ll help out a lot sometimes.” Hunk smiles as he pats your back.

 “I’ll be heading out now, please take care of the place.” Thace calls out once he has everything in his arms. 

 “Of course sir.” You promise him. He gives you one more long look, thinking something over, before he bows politely and leaves. You rub your arms to rid yourself of the goosebumps.

 “So, Beast’s room,” Pidge turns to face you. “One last chance.” 

 “I’ll stay. Someone needs to hold the ladder right?” You smile at them. Pidge pouts but agrees. 

 “Could you pass the basket up once I get through?” Hunk asks you as he wiggles the ladder off of its track.

 “Sure thing buddy.” You grab the basket and follow them over to the hatch. Hunk rests the ladder against the wall and Pidge quickly scurries up it. They waste no time opening the hatch and disappearing into the dark. Hunk pauses on his way up and he glances back down to you.

 “Will you be okay out here?”

 “Yeah I will.”

 “It’s not leaking out bad vibes though, is it?” He asks.

 “No, it’s just in the walls in there.” You tell him. He rubs his neck as he considers it.

 “We’ll try to be quick.” 

 “Hunk, it’s fine. Go. At least before Pidge gets up there and finds something groundbreaking by themselves.” You say as you wrap your hands around the ladder. He nods and gets himself in after a brief struggle. You step up with the basket and pass it to him when he peeks back out. 

        You step back down and lean against the ladder. You close your eyes and try to listen for them. You hear when they open the second hatch, leading into the Beast’s room. You pray softly that Keith did not pick his room as the place to turn to stone. It’s silent for a few moments but eventually you catch the excited murmur of voices. It certainly hasn’t been that long when you hear the second hatch close and the quick shuffling of steps in the crawlspace. The murmuring gets a bit louder.

 “Lance, holy shit, you won’t believe this.” Pidge says. You look up at them.

 “That was quick.”

 “I know, look, hold the ladder.” They step out. You hold the ladder steady for them as they descend facing you the whole time. They keep talking to Hunk as they scramble down. 

 “But seriously, what would you consider that? Gods above I wish I had brought my paper to write notes.” They only pause briefly when they touch the ground and are in the space between your arms and the ladder.  _ Did they find Keith? _ You wonder as you stare down at Pidge. They look at you curiously, almost as if they have a question on the tip of their tongue.

 “Is it clear?” Hunk asks, startling both of you.

 “All clear!” Pidge calls up, question to be forgotten.

 “Sorry.” You step back to give them space. They give you another once over.

 “Nerd.” They say as they duck under your arm and walk over to your side to help hold the ladder. Hunk wiggles his way out of the hatch before shutting it and climbing down. You, having learned you lesson with Pidge, step to the other side as he gets closer to the bottom.

 “So what happened? Why are you back so quickly.?” You ask as Hunk picks up the ladder and moves it back to its track on the shelves.

 “Maybe it doesn’t mean much of anything?” He says as Pidge follows right behind him. 

 “It means something. Okay, we can come back to that part later, but you saw it right?” They continue whatever conversation they were having before, ignoring you.

 “Yeah, yeah, I definitely saw it.”  _ Saw what? Keith? _

 “Seriously guys, what’s going on?” You ask, voice rising just slightly out of panic. 

 “Okay, so we got up there.” Pidge starts off, turning to you and gesturing with their hands.

 “Uh huh.”

 “And the place was all cleaned up.” Hunk continues eyes bright. You are relieved to know that Keith is safe.

 “Yeah. I mean, if my room was a mess and someone saw it I’d feel a bit embarrassed and I’d feel the need to clean it up.” Pidge tilts their head back and stares at the hatch. You bite your cheek but say nothing to correct them.  _ You _ were the one who cleaned up in there after all.

 “Not only that,” Hunk reaches into his pocket and pulls out his handkerchief. “He left us a note.” He shows you the scrap of paper that Keith had written his thanks on.

 “So he’s definitely capable of communication.” Pidge says.

 “What makes you say that?” You ask as you look at the all too familiar note.

 “Well, we only left him cookies. He went out of his way to say thanks. If he couldn’t communicate he would have just taken the cookies. Maybe the handkerchief. And he knew we’d be back.” Pidge waves their arms.

 “Which is scary. Also a part of me wonders what the ‘K’ stands for.” Hunk says, tracing the letter.

 “I’m thinking it’s like an initial. Like if I were to sign a note like that I’d use a ‘P’, maybe a ‘K’ too depending on who it’s for.” They shrug.

 “You’d use a ‘K’? What for?” You give them a confused look.

 “Pidge isn’t my given name. I just prefer it.” 

 “Oh, okay. Makes sense.” You hum. They are right about it though now that you think about it. ‘K’ for Keith.  _ If only they knew how close they are to the truth _ . Gods above you just want to tell them they’re right. You want to vent and tell them about Keith and how he was there when you needed someone the most.

 “If nothing else though, we’re going to be testing it out.” Pidge says.

 “Wait, we are?” Hunk looks over at them confused.

 “You are?”

 “Yeah. I snuck a letter into the goodie basket. If he responds then we will know for sure.” Pidge shrugs, nonchalant about it.

 “You put a letter in there? What does it even  _ say _ ?” Hunk whines.

 “Chill out, it’s just a test.”

 “You’re testing the Beast?” You raise an eyebrow.

 “No!” Pidge rolls their eyes.

 “I mean he’s good at history.” You shrug. Both Hunk and Pidge give you curious looks.

 “Lance?” Pidge starts.

 “I’m guessing!” You hold your hands up. “I mean the guy’s older than parts of the castle, right?” You laugh. Pidge squints at you. 

 “Lance?” Hunk starts this time.

 “Hey, uh, not to sound rude or anything but they should be getting ready for dinner. Which means  _ I _ should be getting ready for dinner. Maybe take a shower and put on something nice to wear. So unless you guys are staying the night, or at least for dinner, I can show you out?” You tuck your hands into your pockets and smile.

 “Wait we can stay for dinner?” Hunk asks.

 “I’m allowed to have company.” You tell him.

 “Hunk no, don’t be swayed by food.” Pidge crosses their arms.

 “Right, right, sorry. Lance --”

 “I think they’re going to be serving up some turkey based on the rumors I heard.” You cut him off. Pidge puffs their cheeks out. 

 “Oh man, turkey? At this time of year? What’s the occasion?”

 “Does there have to be one?” You shrug. 

 “Hunk, focus!” Pidge whines.

 “I’m sorry, I’m hungry.” He whines back.

 “I think they’re also making it with a side of asparagus in garlic butter.” You tell Pidge.

 “Traitor.” They look at you.

 “You’re welcome to stay for dinner.”

 “Man you’re making me wish I had brought my pjs.” Hunk sighs. You chuckle and are about to  invite them both to stay the night when you remember something.

 “Well, it’s for the best. I do have a meeting to attend to after dinner.” You tell them.

 “What kind of meeting?” Pidge asks.

 “Oh, just gonna go stargazing with someone.” You shrug. Hunk smiles widely.  _ Oh no _ .

 “Sounds like you have a  _ date _ .” He teases.

 “No!”

 “Who’s it with? Do we know her?” Pidge steps closer to you, crossing their arms behind their back.

 “It’s just Romelle!”

 “Romelle? Sounds fancy.” Hunk smirks. 

 “Who’s Romelle?” Pidge asks.

 “She’s a handmaid!”

 “Oooh a forbidden romance.” Pidge looks back at Hunk.

 “It’s not like that!” You whine. “She’s just a friend!”

 “It’s okay man, you don’t have to lie to us.” Hunk pats your shoulder.

 “Ugh! Are you two staying for dinner or not then?” You pout as you cross your arms.

 “Hell yeah we’re staying.” Pidge stomps their foot.

 “Then I have to shower.” You say starting to lead them out of the study.

 “So you’re ready for your  _ date _ .” Hunk and Pidge tease. 

 “I’m already regretting inviting you both to dinner.” You grumble. Pidge cackles loudly. 

        They continue to tease you about it far after you’ve reached your room. You shake your head as you push your bedroom door open and walk in. Internally you panic when you realize the candle circle is still on your floor. You hadn’t cleaned it up this morning in your rush to meet up with Hunk and Pidge, nor did you take care of it last night because of your exhaustion. You close your eyes and hope they don’t notice it.

 “Looks like someone’s been up to something.” Pidge comments as they look at the candles. 

 “Oh… It’s um…” You flail uselessly for an excuse. 

 “What’s with the painting on the ground?” Hunk asks as he goes over to it. “Wasn’t it hanging up on Friday?”

 “Look, I just, I was practicing for my new lessons I’ll be taking. Y’know, like, stretching before you exercise!”

 “What classes are you taking that require fire circles?” Pidge asks.

 “Or were you studying and needed… A lot of light?” Hunk offers as an excuse.

 “I asked High Priestess Honerva to give me lessons in Quintessence.” You sigh. 

 “The one you called creepy?” Hunk looks over at you with concern heavy in his eyes. 

 “Yeah.”

 “Why?”

 “Because I make mistakes and diplomacy.” You groan. 

 “Why is your mirror covered up?” Pidge asks you from over by your vanity. 

 “It… It just is.” You run your hands through your hair. They peek under your sheet to see if they can solve whatever mystery is there. 

 “And why’s  _ this _ one hanging up?” Hunk points to the handheld mirror on your wall.

 “Are you usually  _ this _ curious?” You groan. 

 “In our defense, Pidge and I have been doing a lot of studying and looking out for the smallest of details to further our research.” 

 “You could say we have an eye for this stuff.” Pidge says as they emerge from underneath the sheet. Their elbow knocks into your flower vase, sending it over the edge and onto the floor. You rush over to the vanity and carefully pull the flowers out of the shards of broken glass. 

 “Lance, I’m  _ so _ sorry!” Pidge gasps. 

 “Just! Help me find something to put them in!” You snap unintentionally. They’ve already started to droop a bit and it breaks your heart.

 “Hey man, just breathe okay.” Hunk says softly. You feel rather silly for getting worked up about flowers. You cradle them in your hands and feel a bit misty eyed when you see some of the petals fall. You mumble a soft apology to them. Something taps your shoulder. You look up and find Pidge holding a smaller container.

 “Would… Would this work?” They ask softly without looking at you. You get up to your feet and gently take the container from them. Hunk stoops down and starts to gather the broken glass.

 “Yeah. It’ll work. Thank you, Pidge.” You give them a sad smile as you go to fill the container up with water. 

 “It’s okay, perk up my babies, please.” You croon to them as you place them in their water.  _ Maybe you should move them to some place safer _ . You set them on your nightstand where they can catch more sun as well as be farther from elbows. You run your fingertips over the blossoms. You nudge them at them gently with your Quintessence and hope they’ll last longer.

 “I’m going to shower now, give me a moment.” You stand up. “Don’t break anything else and don’t get too messy on my bed.” You joke trying to lighten the mood. You grab spare clothes and a towel as Hunk turns bright red.

 “Why would he mess up your bed?” Pidge asks. You give them a wink. They just scrunch their face up more confused. 

 “What does that even mean?” They ask. You just laugh and walk into the bathroom. 

        You rub your face and look yourself over in the mirror. You frown at a strange dark smudge that hadn’t been there before. It moves from the upper right corner and swoops down in a low arc towards the middle. You swipe at it with your towel and are relieved to see it come off. 

        You hop into the shower and give yourself a good scrub. Regardless of what Hunk and Pidge think, you want to look and smell good in general. You aren’t doing it for Romelle exactly. You’re doing it because when you feel good, you have a good time, and being clean makes you feel good. 

        Sunset shouldn’t be for another three hours, but you still worry slightly about Keith coming in while Hunk and Pidge are here. Keith hadn’t mentioned coming over tonight either. It still has you wondering if Keith would try to come in and visit you regardless. Would he wait for you to return after stargazing with Romelle? Would he go looking for you the way he seems to do?

        Your stomach flips around nervously at the thought. You hope he doesn’t mind it too much. You and Romelle are just friends after all. You pat your body dry with the towel you brought in and frown a bit at your reflection in the foggy mirror. 

 “It doesn’t mean anything.” You mumble. “So there’s nothing to worry about, right?” You pull on your clean clothes. You step out still drying your hair with your towel. 

 “Well it’s not a transmutation circle.” Pidge declares. You peek out from under your towel and see Pidge standing in the center of the candle circle. 

 “What if it’s a death circle.” Hunk whines, clearly not wanting them to be standing in there.

 “If it’s a death circle, it’s doing a piss poor job.” Pidge crosses their arms.

 “It’s just a circle guys.” You laugh as you drape your towel over the back of the chair Keith usually claims.

 “Lance! I’m  _ so _ sorry. I kept telling them not to go in there put they have  _ selective hearing _ I guess!” Hunk directs the last part at Pidge, who’s now examining one of the candles.

 “Like the shape or like? What’s its purpose?” Pidge asks, ignoring Hunk.

 “It’s okay man,” You pat Hunk’s shoulder. “It’s honestly just a circle. Though if anything it’s the safest spot in my whole room.” You shrug.

 “Why? Because it’s a circle?” Pidge raises an eyebrow.

 “No.” You roll your eyes.

 “Then?”

 “It’s been purified.” You say.

 “Oh wow. Like,” Hunk gestures to his hair, reminding you of Shiro’s white streak. “ _ Purified _ , purified?” 

 “Yeah, like that.” You chuckle.

 “Holy shit, I didn’t know you were that advanced.” Pidge says as they leave the circle and step closer to you. Well, fuck, you didn’t think that through.

 “Uh, so, since we’re going to be dining with the King and the Princess I figure I should help you two get cleaned up.” You clap your hands together, changing the topic yet again.

 “Ugh, yeah. I didn’t even think about that,” Pidge groans as they pull at their stained overalls. “I came here dressed to work, not to have tea with the Queen.” 

 “Future Queen.” Hunk corrects.

 “Even worse.” Pidge sighs.

 “Don’t sweat it, I can let you borrow more of my stuff.” You tell them.

 “Please tell me I don’t have to wear your sheets again.” Hunk pouts. You hum and tap your fingers against your lip.

 “I have an idea.” You snap your fingers.

 “What?” He asks. You step outside of your room and find a young maid. You ask her to politely come with you. She turns bright red when you lead her back to you bedroom. She stammers something while waving her hands around as you guide her in. 

 “Do you think you could perhaps find something nice for my friend here to wear? I’m afraid I don’t have anything to offer him to wear that’s fit for dinner with the King.” You pout. 

 “Oh! Gods above I thought -- Yes, let me look at him.” She steps closer to Hunk. Hunk shifts nervously from foot to foot as she walks around him. She nods in approval before looking over at Pidge.

 “Should I find something for them as well, Your Highness?” She turns to you. 

 “If you can, that would be amazing.” You smile. She nods and does the same thing as she did to Hunk. 

 “I’ll see what I can find.” She curtsies for you and you wave her off, thanking her.

 “Wow.” Pidge says.

 “Hmm?” You look over at them.

 “Is it always like that?”

 “Like what?”

 “Like, just doing what you ask without question or complaint.” Pidge gestures to the door the maid left from.

 “Well… I guess it is?” You chew on your cheek. “I try not to abuse it though. Especially since these are not my people or my court.”

 “Wish I could have that kind of power.” They murmur.

 “It comes with a price.” You sigh as you sit on the edge of your bed.

 “Are you going to tell us some stories about your kingdom?” Hunk gasps. 

 “Do you want me to?” You snicker. 

 “If you want to share then we’re all ears!” Hunk nods as he sits on the bed next to you. 

 “Well, what should I start with?” You ask. 

 “Do you have any other siblings?” Pidge jumps onto the bed as well. You lean back, laying on top of their legs. Hunk shifts around until he can lay his head on your lap. Pidge then leans back against Hunk’s side.

 “I’m the youngest of five. I had two older brothers and two older sisters.” You start.

 “Sounds like it’d get loud.” Pidge comments.

 “Not really. A year after I was born my oldest sister, Raquel, was married off. And Luis was married and dropped off in another kingdom when I was nine. It was mostly just me, Veronica, and my oldest brother Marco.”

 “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the oldest male child supposed to take over for their fathers? I remember you telling me that you’re next in line.” Hunk looks up at you.

 “No, you’re right. Marco  _ would _ be next in line.”

 “But?” Pidge prompts.

 “He ran away.” You shrug.

 “You can do that?” Pidge raises an eyebrow.

 “Not easily.” You sigh. “I was… seventeen when he took off. He told me he couldn’t handle the stress and pressure anymore. He even offered to take me but I… I didn’t want to leave Veronica alone.”  _ And yet, you did. _

 “What about your parents?” Hunk asks you.

 “Mi amá, she’s from Altea. She’s nice and sweet. She would spoil me rotten as a kid.” You chuckle. 

 “And your dad?”

 “He’s… I don’t know. I honestly don’t know how my parents stand one another. They’re so different. He expects a lot from us, from me. But truthfully? I think he’s disappointed that I’m his only kid that’s left.”

 “What makes you say that?” Pidge asks.

 “I don’t think I was ever meant to take the throne. Raquel had been engaged at ten, Marco and Luis at thirteen. Heck even  _ Veronica _ was engaged! But… not me. I don’t even have a list of ladies for me to consider.” You close your eyes. “I should’ve been married by now but I’m not.” 

 “King Shiro and the Princess aren’t married yet.” Hunk says.

 “No, but that was something they agreed upon as a duo. They were supposed to have been married a few years back, but they postponed it after Shiro was in an accident.”

 “That’s right, the boar.” Hunk frowns. 

 “Boar?” You look down at him.

 “The word in town was that on a hunting trip, a wild boar attacked the group. King Shiro put himself between it and his men. It’s tusk got him in the face and it just,” He bites at the air. “Onto King Shiro’s arm.”

 “After that King Shiro disappeared for a bit, even the castle itself closed.” Pidge frowns. 

 “Wow.” You sigh softly. You knew it had been bad but you hadn’t known what exactly happened. Looking back on it, you figure Shiro hadn’t told Allura the full extent of his injuries either when it comes to his missing arm. 

 “I’m glad to see he’s doing okay know though!” Hunk says. 

 “For the most part yeah.” You agree, reaching down and threading your fingers through Hunk’s hair to give yourself something to do.

 “What do you mean?” Pidge asks as Hunk hums and closes his eyes.

 “Contrary to what you might believe, King Shiro is still just a person. He goes through ups and downs like the rest of us.” You shrug. 

 “It’s hard to imagine it though.” Pidge rests their hands over their stomach. 

 “Take me for example, I have  _ plenty  _ of ups and downs.” You look over at them.

 “Crying in a castle on a throne must feel nicer than crying in a workshop that doubles as your bedroom.” Pidge jokes. 

 “It’s still crying Pidge. It’s still lonely.” 

 “I suppose.” They shrug and look over at Hunk. “You’re going to put him to sleep like that.” They tell you softly.

 “Am I?” You look down at him. He seems to be out already. 

 “That lucky fucker. Just, closes his eyes, and he’s out.” Pidge pouts. You snicker and continue to comb Hunk’s hair back with your fingers. When you glance over at Pidge, they’re still staring at Hunk.

 “Hey Pidge, can I ask you something?”

 “Huh?” They don’t take their eyes off Hunk.

 “Do you like --” There’s a gentle knock on your bedroom door. “Come in!” You call out. Hunk jolts slightly. 

 “Prince Lance, I’ve found these for your friends. We brought a few up for them to look through.” The maid you sent earlier gestures to two others who have their hands full with fabrics. You pat Hunk’s chest and he makes a soft confused sound, sitting up. 

        You go over to the trio of maids and have them lay out the clothes on separate chairs. You wave Hunk and Pidge to come over. Pidge has to grab Hunk by his arm to lead him over to the chairs. You thank the trio for their hard work. One giggles as she curtsies, and then the trio is gone. 

 “Who wants to go first?” You ask them. Hunk pats his face to wake himself up a bit more. 

 “I’ll go.” Pidge grunts. You nod and pick up the first outfit the maids had grabbed. 

 “I’ll just show you them, if you like it enough then we’ll put it aside for you to actually try on. No sense in putting on clothes you don’t like.” You tell them showing off the lilac dress. 

 “Yeah, that one’s a hard pass.” They stick their tongue out at it. You laugh and set it off to one side. 

 “Is it cause of the skirt of the color?”

 “Skirt.” 

 “Right-o.” You pull the skirts and dresses out of the pile and set them with the lilac dress. You show them different blouses and nice dress shirts, as well as the pants you would put with them. Slowly you get them narrowed down to three options. 

 “Will you need help getting them on?” You ask as you hand them their yes pile. 

 “No.” They roll their eyes and take them. 

 “Bathroom is yours to change in if you’d like.” You say, walking over to Hunk’s pile. Pidge just puts their back to you and unclips their overalls, pulls their shirt over their head, and shimmies one of the dress shirts on. 

 “Or you could do that.” You shrug. Hunk stares at your bedroom wall. 

 “C’mon big guy. You saw what I did with Pidge, now it’s your turn.” You hold up one outfit for him to judge. He doesn’t have nearly the same amount of options as Pidge did, though you chalk it up to the maids giving Pidge dresses as an option. Unlike Pidge though Hunk stops you from going through everything. 

 “That one.” He nods to the one in your hands.

 “What about it?”

 “I’ll wear that one.”

 “Are you sure? There’s a couple more options here.” You gesture to the pile. 

 “I’m sure.” Hunk says. “I’ll wear that one.” He holds his hand out and you shrug as you pass it over. 

 “Alright. Here you go then.” 

 “Thanks.” He smiles. 

 “How’s this?” Pidge asks you both, turning around and showing off what they’ve pulled together. It doesn’t look like it’s quite right on them and you can see where they’ve accidentally skipped a button.

 “Like you need help.” You tell them honestly, stepping forward and adjusting where their shirt lands on their body. Pidge mumbles something under their breath that you choose to ignore. Instead you work on undoing the buttons to get them in the right order. 

 “Watch how high you’re going there, Prince.” Pidge’s hands come up to your wrists. 

 “I will. Relax.” You line the buttons up properly and slide them through their appropriate holes. You hum and step back once you’ve gotten their shirt to lay properly over them. They look over your shoulder and at Hunk. 

 “It looks good.” He says. You chew your cheek and glance over at the other shirts. 

 “Actually, try this one on instead.” You hand them a charcoal colored shirt. They run their fingers over it and nod before turning back around. Hunk looks for a second or two longer before looking down at the clothes in his hands. Now that you think about it, they kind of resemble the uniforms you’ve seen Thace and Ulaz wear.

 “Do you want to change in the bathroom?” You ask him. 

 “Yeah actually.” He rubs the back of his neck. 

 “Then go for it.” You point him in the direction of the bathroom. He nods and walks in, closing the door behind him. 

 “You were trying to ask me something before the maids came in,” Pidge says, turning around and facing you. “What was it?”

 “Are you sure you know how to get dressed?” You shake your head at the mess they’ve made. They huff and roll their eyes. You start to adjust how the shirt lays and pull out the parts that got rolled up. 

 “You’re meant to tuck the ends into your pants.” You tell them. 

 “That doesn’t answer my question.” They say, tucking their shirt in.

 “It’s… well,” You sigh. “How do you feel about Hunk?” You ask as you grab the vest that goes to their shirt.

 “He’s my best friend.” They shrug. 

 “Is that it?”

 “Should there be more?” 

 “I guess not.” You hand them the vest. They run their fingers along the buttons carefully, thinking about something in the silence that follows. You notice them glance towards the bathroom door where Hunk is on the other side. 

 “We’re just friends.” Pidge says softly.

 “Are you?” You ask. They shake their head and slide the vest on.

 “Yeah.” They do the buttons up. You groan internally was you watch them skip a button again. You grab their hands to get them to stop and fix the buttons once more. 

 “Worse than Veronica.” You chuckle under your breath. Your hands still on the final button for the vest, you hadn’t intended on saying that aloud.

 “Did she often wear guy’s clothes?” Pidge looks up at you. 

 “Only if we were trying to sneak out of the castle for the night.” 

 “That sounds like fun.” 

 “It was more annoying than anything. Too many guards.” You smile as you finish the last button and adjust how the vest sits on them.

 “Where would you go?”

 “Just out, never far. Sometimes to the town, sometimes to the wilds, it would depend. Most nights, we’d go out just to look up at the stars.” You step back and look Pidge over. 

 “Was she a huge astronomy nerd like you?” 

 “Oh yeah.” You laugh.

 “Matt was who got me interested in the stars.” Pidge says, smoothing out their vest and tucking their hands into their pockets.

 “How so?”

 “He’d literally geek out about it all the time, and we shared a room so I had nowhere to hide,” They snicker, hand coming out of their pocket to hide their smile. “But the more he talked about it, the more interested I became. Until eventually we’d both sit on the roof late at night and look at them.” You sit on the edge of your bed once more.

 “I remember Veronica and I had snuck out when we were younger and we saw this meteor shower,” You start to tell them. “We hadn’t known  _ that _ was what it had looked like, so we were scared at first. We tried to catch as many as we could and… Gods above, we ended up laying on the grass and laughing when we realized what was happening.” You lay down and smile. Pidge hops up onto the bed next to you and lays down beside you. 

 “...I miss him.” Pidge whispers. You close your eyes and ignore the tears that are trying to build up in your eyes.

 “I miss her too.” You flex your jaw. 

 “Can… Can I ask what how long ago?” Pidge looks over at you.

 “A year,” You choke out. “A week before my twenty-second birthday.”

 “That… I’m so sorry.” Pidge says. You can’t help the soft laugh that escapes.

 “It felt like a punishment.”

 “I know the feeling. Matt just  _ vanished _ and the longer he was gone the more tortuous it became. Not even finding and getting his body back made it better.” They sigh heavily. There’s a poignant silence that befalls you two, neither of you knowing what to say to comfort the other. 

 “Okay, I think I got this on right but I’m not entirely -- what happened?” Hunk asks as he steps out of your bathroom. You sit upright and look over at him. He looks between you and Pidge, who’s rubbing their eyes.

 “Is everything okay?” He walks over to Pidge. 

 “We’re fine, just bonding.”

 “It’s all cool, don’t worry.” You chuckle. Hunk whines.

 “I…”

 “Seriously, it’s okay.” Pidge give him a smile. Hunk still looks distressed but runs his hand through his hair.

 “Okay, okay, I’ll let it go for now.”

 “Thank you.”

 “Am I in this right?” Hunk turns to you. 

 “Yeah,” You then turn to Pidge. “See he gets how clothes work.”

 “Oh shut up.” Pidge shoves your shoulder. You laugh. 

 “You’re looking good big guy.” You tell him.

 “Yeah, you look great.” Pidge agrees.

 “Thanks,” He rubs the back of his neck and looks away to hide his blush. “You… look great too.” 

 “We’re a fine looking bunch, that’s for sure.” You get up and gather the clothes Pidge isn’t wearing. You place them in Pidge’s discard pile, making sure it’s all folded nicely for the maids. 

 “So how does dinner work? Do we just go down there?” Pidge asks you. 

 “Normally I wait until someone fetches me.” You shrug. “By then everyone else is usually in their places.”

 “How much longer?” Pidge whines as they flop dramatically back on your bed.

 “Pidge, the sun is  _ just  _ starting to set.” Hunk chuckles. You pause in your folding and glance over at your balcony.

 “It is, isn’t it?” You mumble. You trace over the pattern on the red shirt in your hands and think of Keith. Would he look good in something other than his dumb loincloth? You can’t imagine it and that might be for the best in all honesty. 

 “Prince Lance?” You hear before a quick and short knock to your door.

 “Come in Coran.” You call out as you place the shirt down into the pile. Coran opens the door and notices your guests. 

 “Ah hello!” He waves.

 “Coran this is --”

 “Oh wait, don’t tell me! I know you!” Coran snaps his fingers as he tries to recall. “Hunk was it?” 

 “Uh yeah, I’m Hunk.” Hunk waves. 

 “I introduced you to him, remember?” You smile at Coran.

 “I surely do. But this one I don’t know.” He rests his hands on his hips as he leans down to look at Pidge.

 “I’m Pidge.” They say.

 “Nice to meet you Pidge. Will you two be joining us for dinner?” He asks.

 “Yes they are.” You tell him.

 “Perfect!” He stands upright and looks over at you.

 “Let me guess, dinner’s ready now?” 

 “It sure is. I’ll go on ahead and let King Shiro know about our two additional guests.”

 “Ah, I hope we’re not in the way or anything.” Hunk rubs his neck.

 “Nonsense. Where one can eat, two can.” Coran says as he starts to head back.

 “We’ll be down in a second.” You tell him.

 “Of course.” Coran bows and then smiles brightly at Hunk and Pidge. “It’ll be nice to have you.” He leaves with a spring in his step.

 “He seems… nice.” Pidge comments. 

 “He is.” You laugh. “So, let’s head to dinner?”

 “Please.” Pidge groans. Hunk nods in agreement. You lead them out of your room and down to the dining hall.


	11. Compatible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at me go just posting chapters like no ones business lmao
> 
> Its all fun and games till I run out of the stockpile of chapters i accidentally accumulated

        You lead the group down to the dining hall. Hunk gasps softly as he looks around the large room while Pidge mumbles a soft wow. It’s pretty standard to you, but you guess it could be considered rather impressive. Especially when you compare it to the study.

        The side of the room you enter from is lined with large windows and thick drapes. There’s a high ribbed vaulted ceiling holding three chandeliers as well. On the opposite wall, there are a few large paintings, some having been sun-bleached and aged with time. Not to mention the long table set in the middle of the room. While you usually are sequestered to one end of it, it’s certainly spacious enough to hold quite the amount of people should Shiro want to.

        You, thankfully, have made it here before the others. This should give Hunk and Pidge time they need to mentally prepare themselves. 

 “Should we bow when they come in?” Hunk asks.

 “Do I bow or curtsy?” Pidge looks up at you. 

 “When you get introduced you can. Just do whichever is more comfortable for you.” 

 “I’m glad you could join us.” Shiro says as he enters the room. _So much for preparing themselves._

 “Wait, aren’t those --” Romelle squints at Hunk and Pidge.

 “Are these your friends?” Allura asks, cutting Romelle off. 

 “Yeah, they are,” You gesture for Hunk and Pidge to come closer. “You might already know them Shiro but allow me to introduce them to you.” 

 “Of course.” Shiro chuckles. 

 “King Shiro, this is Hunk,” You pat his shoulder. “And this is Pidge. Guys, this is King Shiro and Princess Allura.” 

 “Wow, hi, it’s nice to meet you, King Shiro. And you as well Princess Allura.” Hunk bows quickly.

 “Thank you for having us.” Pidge curtsies. 

 “You two are always welcome to be here.” Shiro smiles at the pair.

 “It’s nice to see my cousin didn’t make you two up as well.” Allura teases.

 “Rude.” You stick your tongue out at her. Romelle chuckles softly behind her hand. You tap Hunk’s shoulder to get him to stop bowing and gesture to Romelle.

 “This is Romelle. She’s Princess Allura’s lady-in-waiting. Romelle, this is Hunk and Pidge.” 

 “So _this_ is Romelle. It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.” Hunk greets in a big smile. You can’t help but pinch his arm. He pouts and rubs the spot.

 “Yeah, Lan-- I mean, Prince Lance, would not stop talking about you today.” Pidge starts. 

 “Oh?” She tilts her head and then looks over at you. 

 “He hadn’t told us you were _this_ pretty though.” Hunk says and quickly takes a large step away from you.

 “Ah, well, thank you.” She says, playing with her skirt. “But haven’t I met you before?”

 “Uh yeah you have, when that experiment went wrong.” You laugh nervously.

 “That’s right. You were in the closet.” She points to Hunk.

 “Yes, he was.” You cover your face. Shiro pulls out Allura’s chair for her. 

 “Please, have a seat.” He nods to the other empty spaces alongside the table. When Allura sits he pushes her chair in. 

        You and Romelle take your usual places. Hunk and Pidge look at one another for a moment or two. You watch as they make some weird hand gestures back and forth. Pidge makes a fist while Hunk holds out two fingers. Pidge taps their fist against Hunk’s fingers and tosses their head to the side. 

 “Mind if I sit next to you Romelle?” He asks her. 

 “Oh! Not at all.” Romelle scoots her chair a bit closer to Allura to make sure Hunk has space. Pidge meanwhile, plops into the chair next to you. You lean closer to them as Hunk makes his way to the other side of the table.

 “What was that?” You ask.

 “Rock-paper-scissors.” They shrug.

 “Oh yeah, I remember you mentioning it once before. What is it?” 

 “Have you never played it before?” They raise their eyebrows. You shrug. 

 “It’s a game?”

 “Technically, but Hunk and I will use it to solve debates sometimes.”

 “How do you play?” You ask as Hunk sits. 

 “Well it’s easy, you make a rock, paper, or a pair of scissors with your hand,” They show you the gestures. “Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock.”

 “That’s it?” You make the motions with your hand.

 “Yep. That’s it.”

 “Wait, why does paper beat rock?” You look at them making ‘rock’ with your hand.

 “Because paper covers rock.” They say, wrapping their hand around your fist.

 “But, rock can hold paper down.” You move your fist from under their hand and set it on top.

 “Look, paper can’t have two things to lose against.”

 “Well, that’s paper’s fault!” 

 “It’s not that deep Lance!” Pidge laughs.

 “No no, I agree with Lance. Rock can certainly hold down paper.” Shiro chimes in.

 “Uh… well. It um.” Pidge suddenly seems nervous.

 “But what could break a rock?” Hunk points out.

 “A hammer.” Allura says staring at your hands. She must also be nervous to put on a good impression, based on how quickly she responded.

 “But what breaks a hammer?” Pidge says.

 “Hmm.” Allura taps her chin.

 “Kolivan on a bad day.” Shiro chuckles.

 “Who’s Kolivan?” You ask him.

 “A blacksmith. He’s the one who’s filled the armory. He has exceptional work.” 

 “Oh yeah, I think his shop isn’t too far from where I live.” Pidge hums, finally starting to relax

 “But can you beat Kolivan with a rock?” Hunk asks.

 “Maybe more of a brick.” Shiro leans back as the house staff comes in with food. True to the rumors it is, in fact, thick cuts of turkey breast with mashed potatoes and buttery garlic asparagus.

 “So Brick-Hammer-Kolivan?” You ask as the house staff fills your goblets.

 “What handshapes would you make for that then?” Romelle looks over at Hunk.

 “Clearly this should be a hammer.” Allura gestures to her fist.

 “So would brick be...?” You hold your palm flat. 

 “How would we even make a handshape for Kolivan?” You look at your own hands.

 “This perhaps?” Shiro holds up his first two fingers and tucks his thumb between them. “It keeps it within the same line as your game just slightly different.”

 “It also looks like ‘K’.” Hunk makes the gesture.

 “How so?” You ask.

 “Oh, there’s this guy who comes to my folk’s place. He’s taught me some sign language because his daughter is Deaf and she wanted to learn how to cook from my mom.” He tells you.  

 “And this is ‘K’?” You ask.

 “Yeah!” He nods. “Did you know that, Your Highness?” 

 “I had learned some for communication in the field.” Shiro nods. “I thought it was fitting.” He turns and softly thanks the house staff as they finish cutting up the meat on his plate. 

 “That’s really cool.” Pidge says. They then look down at their plate and then at the line of silverware set next to it. They look up at you in a mild panic. You tap the fork furthest away from their plate.

 “You work your way in.” You whisper. They nod and pick up the fork you pointed out.

 “You know what else is really cool?” Hunk looks over at Romelle.

 “What is?” She asks.

 “Astrology.”

 “What’s astrology?”

 “Don’t you mean ‘astronomy’?” Allura tilts her head.

 “No! Actually, it’s a new study. It says the movements and positions of celestial bodies influence human affairs.” You jump in.

 “Is this what Thace is teaching you guys in class?” Shiro asks you curiously.

 “Well, it’s not just astrology. He keeps it well balanced between astrology and astronomy.” Pidge informs him. 

 “There’s also these theories in astrology that say our Zodiac signs have a lot to say about our personalities. For example, Romelle if I may, when were you born?” 

 “September the 30th.” Romelle says.

 “Ah, that makes you a Libra,” Hunk hums and nods his head. “How interesting.” He glances over at you.

 “Like the constellation?” Romelle asks.

 “Exactly like the constellation!” You smile warmly at her.

 “Libras are sociable, a bit indecisive, and passive. They are born from September 23rd to October 23rd and tend to be most compatible with those who are a Gemini, Sagittarius, Aquarius, or _a Leo_.” He gives you another look.

 “A Leo? Who’s a Leo?” Romelle asks. You try to kick Hunk under the table.

 “Well, Leo’s birthdays are between July 23rd and August 23rd. Hey Prince Lance, when was your birthday again?” Hunk looks innocently over at you. 

 “July 28th.” You give him a look.

 “So Prince Lance is a Leo?” Romelle asks.

 “Yep. They’re courageous, generous and a bit defensive.” 

 “I am _not_ defensive.” You grumble as you stab your food.

 “Sure you’re not.” Pidge snarks under their breath. 

 “What about me? I was born on July 7th.” Allura asks Hunk.

 “You’d be a Cancer then, Your Highness. They’re emotional, caring, but insecure.” 

 “And Shiro?” She asks.

 “He’s a Pisces! They’re intuitive and creative, but also passive-aggressive. But hey, Pisces and Cancer are really compatible.” Hunk smiles over at them. 

 “What about Aries and Capricorn?” You ask him. Pidge pauses briefly while Hunk turns red. 

 “Well uh… as far as dating goes they um they wouldn’t be. Capricorn is one of the worst matches for an Aries.” Hunk pokes his food. 

 “I still think it’s a bunch of hoo-ha. No offense.” Pidge sips their drink. 

 “Well surely even if the signs don’t work well together, the people could right?” Allura asks Hunk. 

 “I suppose so.” He says as he digs into his food. You feel a bit bad for bumming the guy out but you wanted to move away from this topic. Why he wants to set you up on a date with Romelle is a bit beyond you. 

 “It’s quite interesting though.” Romelle smiles at him.

 “Oh uh, thanks.” Hunk chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck. Pidge seems to be getting tense once more. You go to ask them what’s wrong when a shiver runs down your spine. _Someone is watching you_.

 “Is it the boogeyman again?” Romelle asks you.

 “Boogeyman?” Pidge raises their eyebrows.

 “There is no boogeyman.” You say. 

        You reach out with your Quintessence towards the eyes you feel on you. It’s a stretch and does have you a bit dizzy, but you feel a warmth cup you gently. It guides you back to a nice middle ground and holds you. It brings a small smile to your lips. It’s almost reluctant to let you go when you finally pull away. 

 “Man, I would love to stay for dessert but I’m stuffed.” Pidge leans back in their chair.

 “Yeah, plus our parents wouldn’t want us to get home too late.” Hunk agrees, closing his eyes.

 “I’ll have a carriage come to take you home,” Shiro says. 

 “You both live in the same area right?” 

 “Yes, sir. I mean, Your Honor -- Excellency!” Hunk tries to correct himself

 “Majesty.” You fake cough.

 “Bless you.” Pidge says.

 “Yes, Your Majesty.” Hunk tries to bow.

 “It’s alright, don’t worry so much.” Shiro laughs. He waves his hand and a servant steps out from the shadows. Shiro asks them to get a carriage ready for Hunk and Pidge.

 “Well, I have to go over a report my father sent to me. Hunk and Pidge, it was a pleasure meeting you tonight. I’m glad my cousin has friends like you to keep him out of trouble. Please excuse me.” Allura says as she gets up. You, Shiro, and Romelle stand up as well. Hunk watches this and quickly scrambles up to his feet. You nudge Pidge with your shoe to get them to stand as well.

 “Would you like some company, Princess?” Shiro asks her.

 “You’d be rather bored, I assure you. It’s just immigration paperwork.” She chuckles.

 “Oh, I didn’t realize the final stamp on the passport relied on the opinion of a princess.” Shiro says, surprised.

 “What do you mean by that?” Allura flicks her hair out of her eyes as she rolls her shoulders back more. You wince, fully aware that while she’s keeping her face neutral, there’s a fire starting to rage within her.

 “I mean that I’m surprised that you’re given such an important job within your country. I was hardly given any important responsibilities while my father ruled.” Shiro holds his hand up to placate her. 

 “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s _that_ important. It’s nothing more than Galran nomads looking to immigrate to Altea.” She sweeps her white locks over her shoulders with her hand. You rub your hand over your face and find you’re unable to turn away from this trainwreck.

 “I can’t believe they’d want to go to a place like Altea.” Shiro shrugs slightly. 

 “What’s wrong with Altea? Or rather, what is wrong with _Alteans_?” 

 “Nothing is wrong with the Alteans.” Shiro frowns. 

 “You seem to not like High Priestess Honerva at all.” Allura points out. You glance over to Hunk and Pidge, embarrassed as all hell. Hunk and Pidge are respectively looking away from the scenario that’s unfolding in front of them. Pidge stares at the table and the ground while Hunk looks up at the chandeliers and windows. 

 “That is a separate issue that has nothing to do with her race.” Shiro tells her.

 “Then why won’t you tell me about it?”

 “It’s a _private_ issue.” He says, jaw flexing. You turn your attention to Romelle who looks like she’s seconds away from panicking.

 “A private issue.” Allura repeats. “One that seems to have quite an influence on you.” She stands her ground. Your shoulders slowly creep up towards your ears. 

 “It’s _private_.” Shiro glances over at Hunk and Pidge. 

 “Hey Romelle, you wanna walk Hunk and Pidge out with me?” You blurt out, uncomfortable and needing to leave. Not only that but Hunk and Pidge don’t need to witness their King and future Queen argue like this. Plus it gives Romelle an escape route should she want one.

 “I uh…” She looks over at Allura who’s still silently fuming. “I should stay.” She tells you. You nod, respecting that. 

 “Then I’ll take them, don’t worry. I’ll meet you out in the gardens?” You offer.

 “Of course. By the fountain in the hedge maze.” 

 “Alright.” You grab Pidge by their shoulder and start to lead them out, hoping Hunk will catch on. “I’ll see you there!”

 “Goodnight Your Majesty, Your Highness!” Pidge calls out as you drag them away.

 “Goodnight!” Hunk bows once more as he follows after you two.

        Pidge eventually shakes your hand off their arm as you lead them to the entrance hall. Hunk catches up a bit out of breath as you find yourself stopping in front of the burned painting once more. 

 “That was… something.” Hunk says and you know exactly what he’s talking about.

 “Do they fight often?” Pidge asks you.

 “Not that I know of. Honestly, this is one of the biggest fights I’ve seen them do.” You worriedly look back towards the dining hall. 

 “Will they be okay?” Hunk looks back with a small frown as well. 

 “I don’t know.” You tell him honestly.

 “I hope so. She seems nice.” Pidge says. 

 “Trust me, you’re not the only one who hopes so.” You sigh heavily.  “For a lighthearted topic, are you excited?” He asks.

 “Excited?”

 “For your date.”

 “It’s not a date.” You roll your eyes. Pidge steps away from you and looks closer at the paintings.

 “I didn’t realize there was an art exhibit going on.” They say gesturing to the paintings. “Were these here last time?” Hunk looks around at them too. You huff a light chuckle.

 “It’s not an art exhibit. These are all people of power who were in charge here at one point. It’s rather common for it to be in the entrance hall like this.” You say.

 “Huh, I guess we didn’t really pay attention to them. That and well, normally Pidge and I come in through the back so we’ve never had the chance to see these.” Hunk says. 

 “Oh hey, isn’t this Queen Krolia?” They ask, pointing to the woman in the burned painting.

 “Yeah! Oh wow, I can’t believe this is the actual painting.” Hunk looks at it as well.

 “This painting, in particular, was in our history textbook,” Pidge tells you before you can ask. “She’s Queen Krolia and that was her husband, King um…” They seem to blank and look back at Hunk.

 “It was uh…” Hunk snaps his fingers.

 “Well, it’s not as important, I guess. She’s was more well known anyway.” Pidge shrugs.

 “No, no, the King was just as important as she was.” Hunk disagrees. 

 “But you don’t remember his name! Clearly, she’s more important.” Pidge crosses their arms.

 “But she’s not!” Hunk puts his hands on his hips.

 “Yes, she is.”

 “Not.”

 “Is.”

 “Not.”

 “Is!”

 “Not! Look, you have to remember the important thing about their union was the fact that she was _Galran_ and he was _Marmorian_ . It united two different cultures and brought people together. He is _just_ as important as she was.” Hunk shakes his head.

 “Yes, I know! But _she’s_ more important. All of our history books highlight what she accomplished for us. Not him.” Pidge rolls their eyes.

 “Yes, but also consider the fact that we’re now more of a Galran culture. Of course, we’re going to emphasize on the _good_ the Galran Queen did. Especially to help outweigh the bad that we had done prior.” 

 “Okay, okay, you’re both right.” You step in between them. “Tell me about their son though, what was his name?” You ask curiously. Hunk and Pidge share a look. 

 “We don’t know. And it’s not the same way Pidge and I forgot the King’s name.” Hunk shrugs.

 “What?” You look at him, furrowing your brow. 

 “Like, we know they had a son. But there’s no record of his name anywhere. It was never written down on any documents or letters. Heck, this _painting_ doesn’t even have it noted who he is.” Pidge tells you.

 “Yeah and honestly, if it weren’t for this portrait _specifically_ he could’ve easily not existed.” Hunk nods.

 “But what about the fact that he murdered his parents and torched the place?” You look at the two of them.

 “I mean, it’s hard to believe that a sweet ten year old kid would do that.” Hunk shrugs.

 “Probably one of those stories they tell kids to behave.” Pidge mimics Thace. It leaves you feeling a bit confused, to say the least. Maybe you _should_ ask Shiro about it. Hell, maybe even ask Keith.

 “Besides, look at those baby cheeks,” Hunk coos. “Does that look like the face of a murderer to you?” 

 “That one might.” Pidge points to the Queen. You stare at the young prince and then back at the Queen. Something about her looks, familiar, though you can’t place it right now.

 “Prince Lance?” A young man approaches you.

 “Yes?” You ask, being pulled away from the thought.

 “The carriage is ready.” He bows.

 “Thank you.” You smile. “Let’s get you two home?” 

 “Next time is definitely a sleepover.” Pidge declares.

 “Sure thing.” You laugh as you lead them out. 

        You watch Hunk and Pidge crawl into the carriage. You wave goodbye as they stick their heads out of the window. With that they leave, heading back into town. You stand outside a bit longer. When you turn around you think you see Keith crawling up along the side of the castle.

 “Silly Gargoyle.” You murmur as you head back inside. 

        Excited to _finally_ look at the stars, you head up to your room and fetch your smaller telescope from its case and carry your bigger one in its bag. Once in hand, you make your way out to the gardens. You get a bit lost in the hedge maze but eventually, you make it to the clearing in the center. You’ll get this memorized one day, you hope. You sit on the edge of the fountain and wait for Romelle. Before long you hear a soft _whump_ as something - or rather some _one_ \- lands beside you.

 “Hey.” Keith says as he approaches.

 “Hey yourself.” You smile over at him. It’s the first time he hasn’t given you a heart attack.

 “What’s that?” Keith asks as he sits with you.

 “A telescope.” You show it to him.

 “It looks like a spyglass.” He murmurs as he gently plucks it from your hands.

 “It’s the same basic principle, but it’s meant for the stars.” You tell him. “Here.” You get up and wrap an arm around him, guiding the smaller telescope to one of the planets in the sky. He looks through it and hums softly. 

 “That’s Mars.” You tell him. 

 “Is that what that one is?” He looks over at you.

 “Yep. You can see it a bit better with this bad boy.” You nudge the bag at your feet. He’s looking back through it and starts looking at other stars. 

 “How quickly technology improves will always astound me.” He murmurs. You snicker softly and unzip your bag. You start pulling out the pieces that form the tripod. Keith slowly lowers the small telescope to watch you work. Once you have the tripod in one piece you haul out the big guy. 

 “That’s also a telescope?” Keith asks.

 “Yep.” You pop the ‘P’ as you get it properly mounted. “Here, let me show you the moon with it.” You tell him and maneuver it until the moon is in view. You wave him to come closer, excited to hear what he would say. Keith hesitates for a moment before looking into the telescope.

 “Wow.” He says, breathless and in awe. 

 “Right?” You smile at him.

 “I can _see_ the craters. That’s…” His hand fails around trying to find the right word.

 “Indescribable?” You ask him. He looks up from the telescope at you.

 “Exactly.” He turns his attention to the night sky. He compares the moon he can see with the different telescopes and just murmurs soft words. 

 “I just… I don’t know what to say.” Keith looks at you once more. 

 “You don’t have to say anything.” You look back up at the stars. Keith’s eyes linger on you for a while longer before he turns his attention to them as well.

        It’s peaceful like this. You close your eyes and just listen to the world around you. There’s soft chirping from the crickets, the bubbling that comes from the fountain, and the gentle breeze rustling the grass. It has you relaxed enough that you can easily focus on the bright red of Keith’s Quintessence, curling and flickering around him.

 “You’re warm.” You tell him, recalling how it held you at dinner.

 “Am I?” He asks.

 “Your Quintessence, it’s warm.” You open your eyes to look at him. 

 “Speaking of Quintessence. We should work on your next lesson.” He says.

 “Shouldn’t I finish lesson one first?” 

 “You did. You were able to cast a spell by yourself. It’s a good jump to get you started.” 

 “And what would my second lesson be in?” You ask as you sit on the edge of the fountain once more. 

 “How to make a barrier between yourself and others, perhaps?” He offers as he plays with the smaller telescope in his hands. It sounds super fun, but it also sounds like it might be time-consuming. Romelle really should be showing up soon. 

 “As great as it sounds, I don’t think I can get to it tonight.” You dig the toe of your boot into the ground.

 “Why not?” Keith asks.

 “Well, I’m supposed to be meeting with someone right now.” You look up at him.

 “Someone other than _me_ right?” He asks, a frown slowly appearing.

 “Yeah.” 

 “But the Big one and Small one have already left for the day.” He furrows his brows.

 “I’m meeting Romelle here.”

 “Romelle?” 

 “She’s Allura’s Lady-in --.”

 “Oh. I see.” Keith cuts you off. “Just keep in mind you have a _week_ to prepare yourself before Honvera shows up.” He crosses his arms, mindful of the telescope he’s still holding.

 “One night off won’t kill me.” You groan. Keith’s scowl only gets deeper. 

 “Sure it won’t. Just like a bunch of tonsil hockey will keep you safe when you have to face off with Honerva.” 

 “Tonsil -- What are you talking about?” You look over at him. He rolls his eyes.

 “I’m not stupid, _Prince_.” Keith spits out. 

 “Prince Lance?” You can hear Romelle call out from somewhere in the maze. Keith glares in the direction her voice came from. 

 “Keith.” You start to reach for him. He steps away from you.

 “Enjoy your night off.” He hisses, wings spreading up and off his back. It makes you feel infinitely smaller in comparison. He turns on his heel and runs off, disappearing into the maze.

 “Prince Lance!” Romelle heaves a sigh of relief as she finds you. However, you can’t take your eyes off of Keith’s retreating form. Romelle touches your arm, jolting you back into awareness. You look down at her and give her a strained smile. 

 “Is everything alright?” She asks, shifting a thick blanket in her arms around. 

 “Yeah, just thought I had seen something. Guess it was just a trick of the eye.” You shrug. She frowns but doesn’t comment on it.

 “I see you set up your telescope.” She mentions, stepping closer to it. It’s at this moment that you realize that Keith still has your handheld one. You hope he’s careful with it.

 “It’s a clear night out, I figured it’d be a good use of it.” You rest your hand on top of it. 

 “What’s it pointed at right now?” Romelle asks. 

 “The moon.” You murmur, eyes drawn back to where Keith had gone.

 “Why the moon?” Romelle leans down to look into it, holding her hair out of the way.

 “It’s big, bright, and easy to find.” You shrug. “Plus once it rises it washes out the other stars.” 

 “I can’t see anything in here though.” She says.

 “Huh?” You step over to it immediately. 

 “It’s just darkness.” She looks up at you.

 “Let me check.” You frown as you look into it. Oh, _wow_ , yeah you can’t see anything either. You readjust the angle until the moon is back in sight. Carefully, you twist a knob until the blurry image gets clearer.

 “Here we go. You should be able to see her now.” You straighten up and wave for her to step over once more. She leans over and peeks in again. She gasps softly.

 “Oh, she’s so round!” 

 “She sure is.” You snicker softly. 

 “How beautiful.” Romelle looks for a few more moments before straightening up. 

 “May I ask what the blanket is for?”

 “Oh! Well, if I’m being honest, I didn’t know you were going to bust out one of your toys. I figured we could just lay down and look up at them,” She plays with the corner of the blanket. “It’s a bit silly I suppose.”

 “Not at all. Here, let me.” You hold out your hands. She passes you the blanket. You walk a bit closer to the gazebo you and Shiro had been in before. It’ll keep you both from getting cold by the fountain.

 “Are there things we can see without your telescope?” Romelle asks as you spread the blanket out on the ground. 

 “Well, I do believe Andromeda is up tonight. If I can find Alpheratz I can show it to you!” You tell her. 

 “Andromeda?” She asks as you help her sit down on the ground. You take the spot next to her and start measuring the sky.

 “She’s a constellation! And Alpheratz is her brightest star. Actually, there’s a theory that it’s two stars!”

 “So… it’s two stars next to one another?” 

 “It’s more like a dance, they pull on one another as they spin around a common center of mass.” You find Alpheratz and point it out to Romelle.

 “So that’s two stars then?” She squints at where you’re pointing as if trying to see the two stars separately.

 “That’s the theory.” You smile widely.

 “That sounds nice. To know they’re not alone.” Romelle leans back on her arms.

 “It does, doesn’t it? You could almost call it romantic.” You say, crossing your arms behind your head and laying down, cradling your head in your hands. 

 “Like the stories of the sun and moon having been lovers?” Romelle lays beside you, her head resting on the crook of your arm.

 “Were they?” You turn to look at her. 

 “It’s just a story.” She glances at you and then away.

 “Oh c’mon, I’m a sucker for romance. Tell me.” You wiggle the arm she’s laying on around. She laughs and swats at your chest. 

 “Alright, alright! I’ll tell you if you stop moving around.” 

 “Yes, ma’am.” You stop jostling her around with a laugh. 

 “I will admit though it’s been a long time since I’ve read it.”

 “It’s fine.”

 “It does get a bit tragic near the end.”

 “Tell me.” You whine. She clears her throat and then looks back up at the sky.

 “Once upon a time, the Sun and the Moon had been human. And these two, they loved each other so deeply, so wholly, they nearly worshipped the other.”

 “What happened?” You ask her softly.

 “The Gods of Old were displeased with the ladies. _‘How dare you devote more time to one another than to us.’_ They had said. And so, they punished them.”

 “For love?” 

 “For love.”

 “What did they do to them?”

 “The Gods of Old stole the ladies away. They reformed them into new bodies and cast them out amongst the heavens. However, it did not keep the ladies from loving one another. To this day you can still see their love. The Sun shows it by lending her light to the Moon, allowing all to see the beauty of her bride. The Moon shows it by following her love to end of the earth and back again.”

 “Suck it, Old Grumpy Gods!” You cheer. Romelle laughs. 

 “And then there’s the most special of all days. The one in which the Moon finally catches up to the Sun. They hold each other as close as possible for as long as they can until the Gods remind them to keep moving.”

 “Boo.” You pout.

 “It’s alright, they’ll meet again and again.” Romelle looks over at you. 

 “I know, but, why do they still have to be separated? Why can’t they just be allowed to love each other?” You knock your head back against the ground. Romelle hums softly.

 “I wouldn’t know.”

 “But… It’s not fair.” You sigh.

 “Sometimes love isn’t. It’ll take the form of people from different cultures, different social circles, different faiths or whatever else that people can judge with.” She crosses her arms.

 “...Have you ever been judged for loving someone?” You ask. 

 “Well, not yet. But there is someone that I probably shouldn’t be so _enamored_ with.” She rubs her arms. You frown and roll off the blanket. She goes to sit up, but you quickly move the blanket to wrap around her now.

 “Sorry,” You chuckle as she blinks up at you. “You just seemed cold and I didn’t have anything else to offer you.”

 “This… This is plenty fine.” She mumbles, ducking her face into the blanket.

 “So who’s the mystery love? Why can’t you be with them?” You ask her. She turns a few shades redder.

 “I can’t be with them because we’re of different classes.” 

 “That shouldn’t have to stop anyone.” You cross your arms and huff.

 “Unfortunately it does play a very big role here.”

 “Do I know them?” You lean closer. 

 “Yes -- I mean no! No, you don’t!” She hides her face with the blanket. 

 “Aw Romelle, come on. You know I wouldn’t judge you.” You try to pull the blanket away from her face.

 “It’s… It’s very improper of me.” She looks away from you.

 “Romelle, as long as you aren’t hurting anyone or yourself, and you’re safe and happy, why does it matter if they’re from a different class?”

 “You wouldn’t understand.” She sighs.

 “Oh really?” 

 “You literally sit on the top of the class structure. No one is out of your reach, not really.” 

 “I mean, I’d still be expected to not get involved with anyone _too_ low. Not that I pay attention to that. People are people after all.” You shrug.

 “But would you, for example, date a poor woman, one who could bare you no children and had nothing to offer?” She squints at you. 

 “But she does have something to offer.” You tell her. 

 “Oh really?”

 “Her love, her time, her company. Honestly, that’s more than I could ask for.” You uncross your arms to lean back against them. You face the night sky once more.

 “But would you even be _allowed_ to be with someone beneath a noble rank?”  

 “Well maybe not, but I can just,” You wave a hand around. “Change a law or two.”

 “I suppose you could.”

 “So besides, _class_ , what’s keeping you from being with them?” You look over at her.

 “I will admit I don’t know him all that well. But I can’t help but be deeply interested in him.” 

 “Tell me about him! Is he kind? Is he fair?” 

 “Well, I feel he _is_ kind and fair. Very handsome, and charismatic.” She sits up, still bundled in the blanket.

 “How’d you two first meet?” You ask.

 “It wasn’t under the best of circumstances. However, it seems like since the moment I saw him I just… knew.”

 “Knew?”

 “That I was going to fall hard for him.” She admits, looking away from you.

 “Love at first sight.” You smile and sigh dreamily. It’s an experience you’ve heard about before, and perhaps you’ve also wished for on more than one occasion.

 “Exactly.” She hums. “And I haven’t known him for very long. Yet my heart just races a bit when I catch sight of him in the hallways.”

 “And I know them.” 

 “Yes, you do. I mean, you don’t!” 

 “Which is it?” You tease her.

 “I can’t say, or you’ll know!” She hides her face in the blanket once more. And at that moment, it clicks. _Oh no._

 “Let me see if I can describe him.” You say. 

 “Prince Lance, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

 “He’s tall, has dark hair with a killer smile. A calming, almost soothing voice. Broad shoulders, and brilliant mind?” You pointedly look at her. She gets up quickly.

 “You know, it’s getting late. I should really tend to Princess Allura now.” She struggles to free herself from the blanket.

 “Romelle, it’s okay.” You get up and rest your hands on her shoulders. She looks up at you with wide eyes and guilt written across her face.

 “Is it?” She whispers, almost as if everything in her whole life depends on this moment.

 “You couldn’t have picked a better time, honestly.” All things considered, Romelle truly did have good timing on this one.

 “So, you don’t care that I love --”

 “No, I don’t _mind_. You’re gonna have your hands full and some hoops to jump through. But, I’ll help you. You deserve as much of a chance as anyone else does.” You smile at her as you finally unwrap her fully from her blanket.

 “Lance…” She steps closer to you, one of her hands resting on your chest. You place your hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

 “Do you trust me?” You ask her.

 “More than anything.” She replies instantly. 

 “Then I’ll definitely help you. I’ll make sure that no one will question your position and respect it.” You step away from her and go to your telescope.

 “Perfect.” You hear her sigh wistfully. As you take your telescope apart you find yourself wondering what the hell you’re getting into. 

        How are you going to make it so that Romelle can get a shot at Hunk when the poor boy is still head over heels for _Pidge._ You sure know how to pick your battles. But when you glance over your shoulder at Romelle and see her bright and happy smile, you know you have to try. Even if he still chooses to take a shining towards Pidge in the end.

 “Let’s get you back inside?” You offer Romelle your arm once you have your telescope in its bag over your shoulder.

 “So soon?” She hooks her arm with yours.

 “Well, we wouldn’t want Allura to think we’re up to something we shouldn’t be.” You say. “And besides, you were the one who wanted to rush inside earlier.” 

 “Fair.” She pouts. You chuckle softly.

 “There are things that go bump in the night Romelle. It might be best to be inside where they can’t get you.” You mention as you guide her through the maze the best you can.

 “Now you’re trying to scare me.” She huffs.

 “Maybe a little. But I’ll protect you.” You look down at her and wink. She snorts and smiles softly.

 “Of course you will, my Prince.” She murmurs. 

        You successfully get out of the maze with having only made two or three wrong turns. Far fewer than you had before. You walk Romelle through the halls and back to her shared room with Allura.

 “Goodnight, Romelle. This was… very nice.” You say.

 “It was, wasn’t it.” She can’t seem to stop smiling at you. You take her hand and kiss her knuckles.

 “See you in the morning.” You tell her. She giggles a bit breathlessly. 

 “Of course.” She says as you let go of her hand. You watch her slip into her room, waving at Allura who’s sitting on her bed.

 “I return your lovely lady to you.”

 “Why thank you.” Allura gives Romelle a look you can’t quite decipher.

 “I bid you both, _adieu_.” You bow over-dramatically and smile at them when they laugh. With that, you finally head to your room.


	12. Sunkissed

        You do suppose that all is fair when it comes to love and war. At this point, Pidge still doesn’t seem to show any interest in Hunk. It’s only fair the guy be given a chance to move on. Besides, Romelle is a sweet lady, and you feel the two of them could make for an interesting romance. If nothing else, perhaps it would jumpstart a reaction from Pidge. 

        You open your bedroom door and enter your suite. There are a couple of things you notice right away. The first is the candle circle missing from your floor. All the candles have been gathered up and reorganized into a cluster on the coffee table in your sitting area. The second thing you notice is the case for your handheld telescope is sitting open on your desk. 

        You walk over and set the bag containing your bigger telescope on the ground next to the desk. When you move to close the case for your handheld, you see it’s already been returned. It’s nestled gently in the form-fitting fabric that holds it in place.

        You run your fingers over the metal and smile softly. You close the case and turn around. Your balcony door is open. You step out, half expecting Keith to just be standing there, but he’s not and it gives you a weird feeling. However, when you glance over to his room you see there is a light on.

 “Keith!” You lean over your railing and call out. No response. You pout and lean a bit further over the railing.

 “Keith!” You whine. “C’mon man!” Still nothing. You huff and cross your arms. You glance over to the gargoyle who sits on your railing.

 “The nerve of this guy huh?” You gesture to Keith’s bedroom. You lean over the railing once more, clinging tightly to it.

 “Keith! I’m falling! Oh no! Help!” But there’s still no response. You groan and walk back into your room. 

        You grumble to yourself as you pull off your clothes and slip into your pajamas. You nearly crawl into your bed with an angry huff when you finally notice the flower vase next to your bed. It’s how you left it before sure, but to your surprise, it’s not just the purple hyacinths anymore. Hugging the purple flowers are fresh bluebells and honeysuckles.  _ Humility and happiness. _

        How seriously you are supposed to take the message you aren’t sure of, but you know one thing. You’re going to have to go see him to find out. You sit on the edge of your bed and look at the flowers. You groan softly to yourself, running a hand through your hair.

        You had been the one to ditch him on such short notice. You hadn’t even left him a note or anything. Guilt gnaws at your core for a few moments. Especially as you stare at the flowers and recall how he hadn’t responded to you calling for him on the balcony. 

        Maybe he’s upset with you, angry even. Here you are, asking him to teach you and see you, but you don’t even give him the grace of forewarning him about your plans? Awful. You sigh as you rest your head in your hands. 

 “Alright, okay. This is a dumb idea but let’s do it. If he won’t come to us, we’ll go to him.” You peek outside your bedroom door. Not a soul is coming, and so you slip out and head for the study.

        Even with you looking over your shoulder the entire time, feeling watched in a way that you don’t associate with Keith, you make it to the study fairly quickly. Once inside it, you grab a chair and hook it under the doorknob. A precautionary measure. 

        You give it a nod and go over to the ladder that Hunk moves for you and Pidge. It still weighs like a ton of bricks, and once again you are reminded that Hunk moves this thing without any issues. You prop it up against the wall, gripping the sides of it as you take a deep breath.

        You quickly crawl up the ladder and shove the first hatch open. You haul yourself up inside the crawlspace and ignore how your stomach wants to fold in on itself. You shuffle down the darkened space carefully. You go to slam the second hatch door open but you hesitate. 

        You’d still be barging into his room if you did that. Instead, you pound your fist against the hatch, knocking. There’s more silence.

 “Oh come on! I  _ know _ you heard that.” You huff and pound on it once more, refusing to believe he isn’t in his room. You hear the murmur of his voice and the sound of footsteps approaching you. The small space is getting to you once again and you can feel it in the way it makes it harder for you to breathe. You knock again, more impatient this time. 

 “Keith, please!” You press your hands to the hatch. You hear something move around just above it and then the hatch is jerking open under your hands. You look up, relieved, and smile at Keith.

 “Hey!” You wave at him. He runs his hand through his hair and sighs.

 “Hey.”

 “Are you ignoring me?” You ask. He raises an eyebrow and then closes the hatch on you. You gasp in the darkness.  _ That jerk! _

 “Rude!” You shout. You can hear him chuckle and then he opens the hatch back up. 

 “Need a hand?” He asks you, leaning down and offering you his hand. You pout but take it, his hand wrapping around your arm. He pulls you up with minimal effort on his part as if you weighed nothing more than a sack with three potatoes in it. It does something to your heart for sure. He sets you down on the ground and moves to shut the hatch. 

 “I’m glad you kept the place cleaned up.” You say as you look around. He hums as he stares at you for a few moments.

 “Thank you for it. I had been meaning to but it was just a lot of…” He waves his hand around.

 “Clutter?” You offer.

 “Memories.” He corrects.

 “Oh. Uh, well, I hope I didn’t misplace anything then?”

 “I moved the more important stuff around again. But still, thank you.” 

 “No sweat,” You shrug. “Honestly the thing I had the most problems with was the broken mirror.” You glance down at your palm and thank the Gods it healed without issues.

 “...I bet.” He looks over at the one by his bed. You follow his gaze and frown at it. 

 “You wanna talk about it?” You ask him as you turn your attention back to him. 

 “It’s complicated.”  
  
 “You know, most of the time when people say that, it’s actually not that complicated, they just don’t want to talk about it.” You tell him as you go over to his bed and sit on the edge of it. He squints at the mirror a bit longer before shaking his head.

 “There’s just things that I don’t want to see.” He concludes and moves closer to stand in front of you. “I take it your date flopped?” He raises an eyebrow.

 “Date? Keith, I didn’t ditch you for a date. Besides, if it  _ was _ a date I most  _ certainly _ would not be here right now.” You lean back on your arms and look up at him. He doesn’t seem to be convinced.

 “Of course you wouldn’t.” He grunts. 

 “What would I have to do to convince you it wasn’t a date?” You ask him, flicking your bangs out of your eyes. 

 “I’ll think about it.” He snorts crossing his arms. You look around his room once more, taking note of the various lanterns he has lit. You notice the goodie basket Hunk and Pidge brought earlier is unwrapped but still sitting on his desk. You can’t help but smile.

 “So what were you up to before I came in?”

 “Reading mostly.” He shrugs as he gestures to the stack of books and papers scattered on the floor by the bookshelf. 

 “Are you looking for something in particular?” You ask, considering the size of the stack. 

 “Yeah. I’m going over some old notes and research I had done ages ago. Trying to build up your lesson plan if you will.” He gathers up his papers and shuffles them into a neat pile.

 “Like what?” You get up and walk over to him. You help him reshelve the books as he flips between papers. 

 “You’ll see when we get there.” He smiles, shaking his head.

 “Ugh.” You whine as you put the last book away. “I hate surprises.” 

 “I don’t think there’s a royal I’ve known that appreciate them.” He takes his stack of papers to his desk. He peeks into the basket and pulls out a snickerdoodle. You watch him take small bites out of it as he continues to look through the basket.

 “You know, you don’t have to feed me.” He says as he picks up a small piece of paper from the basket.

 “You don’t seem to mind but, I didn’t make them. Hunk and Pi-- well actually no.  _ Hunk  _ made it and Pidge wrote you that note.” 

 “Hunk and Pidge?” He raises his eyebrows. 

 “Big one and small one.”

 “Ah.” He flips the paper over and reads it. 

 “What’s it say?” You ask him.

 “It says, ‘This is a test’.” He looks up at you.

 “That’s… That’s it?” 

 “That’s it.”

 “Oh Son of Mary.” You groan and rub your face.

 “I don’t even know how to respond to this.” He says. 

 “I wouldn’t either.” You tell him. He shakes his head as he sets the paper aside for now, picking up another cookie to eat. Honestly, what was Pidge expecting from that message?

 “I’ll think of something.” He says, dusting the crumbs off his hands as he finishes the second cookie. 

 “Honestly anything you write will work I bet.” You mention. He hums in response leaving you to stand there quietly. You find yourself looking around again, mostly to keep yourself busy but eventually, you have to say something. 

 “So, I got your flowers.” You glance over at him. 

 “Hmm? Oh! Uh, yeah. I was just… in the gardens and uh… Well, I had seen the ones from before looked um a bit lonely. So yeah. I just. Grabbed some.” He stumbles his way through his words, wings shifting nervously over his shoulders and back.

 “Bluebells and honeysuckles.” You step over to him. “It’s a combination.” He furrows his brows in confusion.

 “Wha -- Oh.” It clicks in his mind. You suppose that answers your question about them in the first place. You aren’t supposed to take the combination seriously.

 “Did they just remind you of me?” You tease him, pressing the back of your hand to your forehead and swooning overdramatically. His shoulders draw up closer to his ears as he looks away.

 “Since you seem to be in such a good mood, how do you feel about doing lesson two?” He asks instead.

 “Oh, come on, you can’t ignore the question.” You joke.

 “I can and I will. Do you feel like doing lesson two now?” He crosses his arms and looks at you.

 “Rude.” You stick your tongue out at him. He blinks slowly still waiting on your response. 

        You hum as you step closer to him. You reach out and walk your fingers up and along one of his wings that cover his upper arms. You chuckle softly as you can feel it flutter and twitch in response. Keith is doing a good job at his poker face though. 

 “Just admit you saw them and thought of me.” You lean closer to him, resting your hands on his shoulders.

 “What are you doing?” He looks at your hands and then at you. You go to open your mouth but your mind blanks. What  _ are _ you doing? Sure there’s room for a book to fit between you two, however, your on your toes and leaning up against him.

 “Uh…”  _ Why _ are you like this, is another question. At what point did this stop being teasing him for his avoidance of the question? He continues to stare at you, eyebrows furrowed as he tries to solve the puzzle you’ve inadvertently given him.

 “Uh yeah, lesson two.” You clear your throat as you step away from him. There’s a heat to your face that you wish would just go away.  _ Why is your heart pounding? _

 “Yeah. Um. Lesson two.” He shifts from foot to foot.

 “You had uh, mentioned barriers?” 

 “Right, right! Barriers.” He snaps his fingers and moves towards his dresser. You follow behind him curiously. 

        When he pulls one of the drawers open you can’t help but peek inside. There’s elegant clothing in there, dated looking sure, but they’re certainly something fancy. In fact, the closest thing you could associate it with is your own, which is  _ peculiar _ . He pulls a box out from the drawer and pushes it closed with his wing.

 “What’s that?” You ask. Again it seems to be quite fancy and old. 

 “A jewelry box.” He opens it and you suck a soft breath at the glittering gems inside. 

 “Oh wow, did some old crone think the whole thing was cursed?” You step closer to it.

 “No. It came from many people. Necklaces, rings, gems, and what have you. There used to be a little drop chute where my door had been a long time ago. I’d find piles of stuff in the room until they sealed it off for good.” He looks through the items inside, searching for something.

 “Same with the box?” You can’t help but ask.

 “The box was mine.”

 “You know, you’re really not winning your case against being a fae ruler.” You tell him crossing your arms and leaning against the dresser. He pauses for a moment before shaking his head.

 “I’m not.” He finally picks up a necklace and looks it over. He closes the box and puts it back where it had been.

 “Fancy clothes, fancy box, how could I not think that?” 

 “I -- You -- Here, hold this.” He huffs. You hold out your hand and he gently rests the necklace in your palm, coiling the thick, dark silver chain around a sparkling orange and yellow stone. 

 “What is it?” You ask him as he moves to where his candles are.

 “Sunstone.” He says as he kicks at a large and dusty rug on his floor, arms full of white candles and a small broom. 

        You don’t recall having seen the rug when you were cleaning up his room a few days prior. You still walk over and grab one side of it. He gestures for you to move it, so you slide it off and to the side. Underneath the rug had been a large painted circle. There are designated spaces for things you assume based on the smaller circles that show up around the circumference. 

        He sets the candles down near the circle, then with the broom, he sweeps across the circle. You frown slightly when you notice the bristles never touch the ground though, so you aren’t sure what he’s doing. He nods when he’s done, murmuring thanks to the broom and setting it back by where his door had been. He scoops up the candles and places them around the circle with a practiced ease. As he sets them down they spark to life from his Quintessence. Your eyes widen in awe.

 “Come in.” He motions for you to follow him into the circle. 

 “What now chief?” You ask standing in front of him. 

 “Since you were so tired with the first lesson I’m going to be the one casting tonight.”

 “What? But if  _ you _ do it, how will  _ I _ learn?” You pout.

 “Learn your limits. If you were to do another spell it would only compound on your exhaustion. You need recovery time.”

 “I’m fine!” 

 “Yeah well, I don’t feel like pulling a Haggar just because you think you’re fine.” He shakes his head.

 “Haggar?” You’ve never heard of a Haggar.

 “Not right now. After, I promise.” 

 “Okay.” You frown. 

 “Center yourself.” He reminds you, his wings shifting off his shoulders and folding on his back. Your eyes trail down his neck and to the divot of his collarbone. Your gaze lowers to his chest and catches on a thick scar you don’t recall seeing before. It starts from his right shoulder and slopes down over his collarbone in a slightly jagged line to his pec.

 “Why don’t you let them stay on your shoulders?” You ask him, dragging your eyes away from his scar.  

 “It distracts me when I cast. Focus on centering yourself.” He tells you as he kneels by one of the candles. You close your eyes and take a deep breath, stilling the residual nerves and excitement until you finally feel like a calm river and not a turbulent ocean.

 “Good. You’ll get faster at it eventually too.” You hear Keith say. You blink your eyes open and notice the tips of his claws are coated in wax. You furrow your brow in confusion and go to ask when he takes your hand. He turns it so your palm is facing up once more, necklace still coiled in it.

 “This will be a test, something easy to make sure it’ll work with you.” He starts. 

 “A test?”

 “Most of the barrier spells I know are to protect you from someone,” His claws glide over your wrist, a motion that would have surely scratched you were it not for the wax. “We’re going to start with something smaller though, make sure it doesn’t take from you and make sure it’s easy to remove when needed.” He encourages your finger to uncurl.

 “Remove how?” You hold your hand flat for him.

 “We’re going to be putting it onto this necklace. So long as you wear it, you’ll have your barrier.” He tells you.

 “And when I take it off, it goes away.” You murmur.

 “Exactly. I’m used to making them for me, so I know how to have it take from my Quintessence to keep it powered and strong.”

 “I find it hard to believe you need protection from someone.” You chuckle. He looks a bit off to the side, eyes distant before shaking his head.

 “Regardless, I need to make sure it doesn’t take anything from you. Lessons are hard on your body as it is, and with you having to do double duty with me and Honerva, any drain could cost you.”

 “If it’s not from me, then where will it get its power from?” You ask.

 “From me, ideally. If nothing else, we can figure out a way to make a power matrix within it that we can fill every so often.” He cups your hand in his.

 “Okay.”

 “Right now, for the sake of the test, I need you to pick a person.”

 “A person?”

 “Someone you have regular contact with, someone who comes into your space. They don’t have to be a bad person.” He says.

 “I don’t know... “  You chew on your cheek.

 “It’s not permanent, remember? And it’s just a test. Once it works we can change its intent.”

 “Well, I still wouldn’t know who to pick.” You murmur.

 “What about that girl then?”

 “What girl?”

 “Your date.”

 “It wasn’t a date!” You hiss. 

 “Center yourself.” He rolls his eyes. 

 “I’ll center you.” You huff, re-centering yourself. 

 “So then let’s go with her.” He hums.

 “You want to make a barrier between me and Romelle?” You peek your eye open. “Sounds like you’re just jealous.” You tease. The candles in the circle seem to glow a bit brighter.

 “Center. Yourself.” He glares.

 “Seems like I should tell you the same.” You say, calming the Quintessence within you once more. The bright glow of the candles dims back down within seconds. You whistle softly.

 “You really  _ do _ get faster.”

 “Since you still haven’t given me a reason not to, we’re going to use Romelle as our tester.” He makes sure your hand is flat again. 

 “Still think you’re jealous.” 

 “Focus.”

 “On what?”

 “On her.”

 “You’re giving me mixed signals here buddy.” You chuckle. He sighs and gives you a look, opening his mouth.

 “Centering, I know.” You get back to where you need to be.

 “Good. Now, focus on her and how you want some space between you. No ill will, just space.” He tells you. 

 “Then what?”

 “That’s all you’ll be doing. It’ll give the Sunstone a target if you will. I’ll be doing the rest.” He cradles your hand with his left, his right resting on top of yours. His hands are warm from his Quintessence, you realize, with a flutter in your stomach.

 “Ready?” He asks.

 “Yeah.” You nod. He hums and the candles around you flicker as he pours his energy into your hand, into the necklace, and into the gem. You can practically feel how it moves like a molten liquid. He’s focused entirely on your hands now. 

        Every point of contact his fingers, his claws, have with your hand feels like its burning, but it’s not uncomfortable the way holding a hand over an open flame is. You look from his hands and up to his face. In this flickering lighting, you find that you have to admit that Keith is rather handsome. Although, something about his face seems to look familiar in a way you can’t place at this moment. You watch Keith frown slightly.

        Right, you’re supposed to be focusing on Romelle right now. So you close your eyes and think of her. She had still been in her bedclothes when you had arrived, tired beyond belief, to Altea. You had given your family’s letter to Coran to take to Alfor, while Romelle led you to a room for you to sleep.

        You remember her making sure to invite you for meals with everyone in those first weeks. How she had done what was in her power to help you however she could. And had you been in a better headspace, maybe you would have  _ actually _ tried to flirt with her. But your heart was still too battered and bruised from the loss of your sister. 

        You recall at one point there being a discussion in which she was reminded that she was  _ Allura’s _ handmaid, not yours. You had stood up for her then, declaring she was only trying to give you a friendship that you needed in that dark time. And God’s above a  _ friend _ was what you had desperately needed, not a quick fling.

        You think about how kind she had been for the weeks following your friendly declaration. Until she left for Stoneheart with Coran to make sure the necessary things to receive you and Allura were in place. You had missed her a bit, but it wasn’t devastating. While she has been busy here lately, you find you don’t mind the space between you two. She’s always been a good friend after all and you’d hate to lead her on by accident.

 “Okay.” Keith grunts. You open your eyes as he pulls his hands away. You notice there are crumbled bits of wax along your forearm. Then you’re distracted by how the gem glows. Keith runs his fingers along the gem once more, you notice the wax has certainly rubbed off in some places.

 “We’re done?” You ask. You watch the glow slowly dim until the gem looks like it had before. He scoops it up from your hand, and gestures for you to spin. You turn your back to him and he clasps the chain around your neck. The stone still feels warm against you.

 “We’re done.” He says as you touch the gem and turn back around to face him. He looks, troubled? In an instant. the candles around you go out. Keith stoops down, collecting them and gathering them in his arms. His wings stay folded on his back until they’ve been put away. 

 “Are you okay?” You ask him as they stretch out wide and then slowly wrap back around him.

 “I’m fine.” He mumbles, picking up the rug you had moved. When he lifts it up you notice there’s a strange sigil drawn on the underside of it. You recall seeing it before, broken, on one of the boxes here.

 “You don’t seem fine.” You say as he stands just outside of the circle.

 “It’ll pass. Move.” He grunts once more. You step out of the circle and let him cover it back up with the rug. 

 “Are you sure?” You ask as you take a step closer to him. He frowns but nods. 

 “I’m sure.”

 “You know I have like a bazillion questions right?” You give him a soft smile. 

 “Can they wait?” 

 “Is… Is sunrise soon?” You look over your shoulder to his balcony.

 “No, but I don’t want to have to carry you to your own bed again.”

 “I can make it to my bed just fine!” You cross your arms. 

 “Prove it.” He smirks. 

 “I -- Okay, fine!” You huff. You make your way to his hatch door and open it. When you look down into the darkness you feel a shiver run along your spine. 

 “Can, can you leave this open until I get to the other side?” You look over at him.

 “Yeah.” He’s still standing over by the circle, far away from you. 

 “Well… Goodnight?” You shrug.

 “Goodnight, Prince Lance.” He tilts his head respectively to you. You give him one last look before dropping down into the crawlspace. You have no idea what just happened with Keith.

        You barely make it to the other hatch when Keith closes his. You tell yourself that he’s probably just a bit cranky and tired from casting. Much like you had been when you did your first spell. It’s not like he’s  _ annoyed  _ by you, right? Right.

        You step out of the crawlspace, relieved to finally be able to breathe once more. You pull your hatch shut and descend the ladder. You hop off the final rung and rest your forehead against the side of the ladder. 

 “He’s just tired. Sourpuss. Crank master.” You grumble under your breath as you heave the ladder up. “Better get some good day’s sleep.” You huff as you attach the ladder in its correct place.

 “At least… I hope he does.” You mumble as you look back up at the hatch. You run your hand through your hair and sigh. You grab the chair keeping the door shut and put it back in its place.

        You pull the door to the study open and start heading back to your room. In the hallways you catch sight of Ulaz leaving a room. He closes the door gently, almost as if he’s sneaking out. Nothing gives you a stronger sense of danger than catching house staff sneaking around. Especially,  _ high-ranking _ , house staff.

        He rests his palm on the door and then pushes himself away from it. He turns to start walking down the hall. You notice far too late, that he’s turning to walk towards where you’re standing. He looks at you, surprised, and then his face resumes its neutral expression.

 “Prince Lance. It’s rather late is it not?” He asks softly, stepping towards you. 

 “I could say the same.” You cross your arms behind your back, glancing at the door he left from. 

 “Are you accusing me of something?” He raises an eyebrow.

 “Should I?” You wish you had something to defend yourself with. Even a skinning knife would be useful.

 “I am merely making my nightly rounds of the castle.” He tells you.

 “But why  _ do _ you do them? It’s not your duty.” 

 “It brings me peace of mind to know the castle is safe.” He stands in front of you.

 “Do you not trust the guards to do their jobs?” You ask as you slowly start to circle him. 

 “Of course I trust them. However, when I cannot sleep, I find it best to apply my time to  _ doing _ something, rather than just laying in bed waiting for sleep to take me.” He watches you over his shoulders.

 “And so you patrol the castle.” 

 “And so I patrol the castle.” He confirms. 

 “Of all the things an advisor could be doing with this ‘spare time’, you spend it doing this. When, instead, you could be going over reports and papers for King Shiro.”

 “Are you critiquing my job?”

 “I see you far less than Coran.” You mention, continuing to circle him. 

 “Because  _ that  _ is when I go over the papers and reports for King Shirogane.” He tells you simply.

 “Of course, of course!” You hold your hands up and smile. 

 “Prince Lance, I must say I’m quite confused as to where this line of questioning is coming from. I’m forced to assume something rather unkind about you.”

 “Oh really? Like what?” You stop in front of him.

 “That you have learned of my heritage and are holding it against me.” He gives you another unreadable look.

 “Your… heritage?” You tilt your head. You are not sure what that has to do with anything. 

 “I am Galran.” He says so simply, so matter-of-fact. 

 “You  _ are _ ?”  _ You had no idea. _

 “Yes. Isn’t that why you’re questioning me? You do not trust me the way I know your Princess Allura would fail to trust me should she find out.”

 “What? No! That’s -- Dude you just snuck out all weird-like from a room!” You wave your hands towards the door in question. There’s a beat of silence, and then you watch as Ulaz tries and fails to keep a straight face. You watch him manage to stifle his laughter, covering it as a couple of coughs.

 “I don’t…” You trail off, feeling rather confused. 

 “Those are my sleeping quarters Prince Lance. I was making sure to not wake Thace up, he’s a fairly light sleeper after all.” Ulaz tells you. Your face falls off and slams right onto the ground.

 “Ohhhh.” You whine, hiding your face behind your hands. “Ulaz, I am  _ so _ sorry!”

 “Perhaps it’s time for bed?” He offers.

 “Yeah.” You agree. 

 “Shall I escort you?”

 “You may.” You drag your hands down and off your face. You notice him glance at the sunstone around your neck. He then steps back allowing you to lead the way.

 “If I may Prince Lance, what is it that you're doing up so late?” He asks as you two start to head back for your room. 

 “Uh… reading. Y’know I don’t want to fall behind on Thace’s lessons, and he’s already further ahead with Hunk and Pidge. I don’t want him to feel like he has to go back just to help me out.” You shrug.

 “I see. You know, Thace would not mind giving you remedial courses to catch you up to speed with your fellow classmates. He has quite a passion for teaching.” Ulaz hums. 

 “Well remedial classes are an embarrassing thing to ask for. I’ll just study hard by myself and catch up. It’s really not that big of a deal.” 

 “If you say so.” 

 “I do.” You give him a bright smile. He’s gone back to being unreadable as before. Which, honestly, is a shame. He seemed so genuine when he was laughing moments ago. You fall into a comfortable silence as you continue to your room.

 “...I didn’t know you were Galran.” You murmur.

 “Most of the citizens in this area and some of its surrounding neighbors are.”

 “Really? I mean, yeah that  _ would _ make sense considering this was the capital but it never occurred to me before how many of you there would be.”

 “More people than you know have Galran blood in their veins. We used to be more of a nomadic people. Until Emperor Zarkon united everyone under a common goal over a thousand years ago.”

 “And that was?”

 “Conquest. Power. Riches beyond measure. And then created a single enemy keeping them from it all.” He shrugs.

 “And then war broke out.”

 “And we have been viewed as nothing more than bloodthirsty killers, bent on destruction and power, ever since.” 

 “...It’s so strange. My father has never once had any issues with the Galra. Heck, even my  _ nanny  _ was half Galran. So I don’t see you as a group of murderers. But everyone in alliances with Kyo͞obə seems to think that the Galra are up to no good.”

 “It’s very easy to convince a person to hate another, and sadly, extremely difficult to convince a person to accept and respect someone else,” Ulaz says as he comes to a stop at your door. “People with power, like yourself, are the biggest influencers on the public. We merely pray for you to be good to us all.” You look up at him.

 “I’ve always told my parents that when I take over, I  _ will _ be a fair and kind ruler.” You clench your fists tightly and set your shoulders with a steely determination. Ulaz cracks the smallest of smiles.

 “Then I have high hopes for you, my Prince.” He bows slightly, pushing your door open and waving for you to enter. 

        You smile at him and wish him a good night’s rest. He bows once more thanking you as he pulls the door shut behind you. Your hand comes up to touch the sunstone gem. If you close your eyes and focus you can feel the softest beat and pulse of Keith’s Quintessence still lingering on it. Which has you a tad curious, you will admit.

        You go over to your balcony door and stare at the carvings Keith had put there. You notice when the sunstone is closer to the sigils, both of them glow a bit faintly from within. The two items reacting to the same Quintessence. You wonder if that means they’re both being powered by Keith or if they both need that ‘power matrix’ thing he was talking about.

        You look over your balcony railing, eyes drawn to Keith’s room without intending to. The light you had seen in there earlier has now been extinguished. A frown tugs at the corner of your lips. You hope he isn’t just sitting in the dark being broody. He could just be resting after all. 

        Which, speaking of resting, you should be getting to that as well. You look down at your pajamas, determining them to not be  _ that _ dirty.  _ Oh, who are you kidding? These are filthy.  _ It’s a miracle Ulaz didn’t say anything about it, especially with you pointing out how suspicious he had looked stepping out of his room. With a grunt to yourself, you gather clean pajamas. 

        You step into your bathroom and wash your face at the very least. You can do a nice body scrub tomorrow morning, but you cannot let your face be nasty overnight. You just can’t, you absolutely refuse. You fumble for the small hand towel that hangs off to the side to pat your face dry. 

        A chill runs down your spine as your drying off. It’s as if someone dropped an ice cube down the back of your shirt. You snap your head up and look around the bathroom. 

 “Hello?” You call out, spinning around slowly to look for anything unusual. “Ulaz? Keith? Faeries?” Nothing is here, nothing responds. When you glance at the mirror you notice a new black streak dripping down the surface. You  _ definitely _ don’t like that. 

        With the towel in your hands, you reach out and try to rub it off. Unlike last time, it doesn’t go away so easily. You frown as you stretch your fingers out to touch the mirror. It feels like how a mirror should, but the moment your fingers slide against the black stain, your body feels encased in ice. Your breath is ripped from your lungs and you can’t seem to get it back. Fear and danger claw through you, enough to pull away from the mirror. 

        You're left gasping for air, head spinning slightly. You aren’t sure what left it behind and that thought scares you far more than anything else. One thing is certain, it was not friendly. It was malevolent. It was bad.  _ And you don’t know what it was _ . 

 “You’re not welcome here.” You say with a stern voice, glaring at the stain. “You will leave. Now.” You hear the tapping of claws against the glass surface in response, small black dots blossoming from the space.

        So naturally, you step out of the bathroom, because  _ fuck _ that. You grab the chair that sits at your desk and haul it over to the bathroom door. You tuck the back of the chair under the doorknob and pray that it keeps that dark thing out. You lay a few of the blessings you’d been taught by your father on it and yourself. 

        With shaking hands you change your clothes, dropping your dirty clothes in the hamper, and crawl into your bed. You keep your eyes locked on your bathroom door until your vision blurs out. When you lose your focus, your head bobbing, your body makes the choice for you. The need for sleep overrides your paranoia and you finally rest.   
  


* * *

 

        The next three days blur together. Each day that passes by, the lighter the dark smudge on your mirror gets, but you still have no idea who or  _ what _ left it behind. It continues to leave you uneasy without knowing the cause of it. 

        Every morning you test the sunstone necklace, hidden underneath your shirts. Romelle seems to have become quite busy, until you take it off and suddenly you find her by your side. Each time you take it off she approaches with apologies for her sudden increase in work. How much of it is a coincidence you don’t know. 

        Keith also seems to be making himself scarce. You haven’t seen hide nor tail of him, and you don’t know why. Considering the lessons with High Priestess Honerva are fast approaching, anxiety swells and bubbles in your gut. Keith had been upset about you  _ almost _ missing  _ one  _ lesson of his. Yet, here you are, two nights wasted.

        His bedroom lights never come back on and your hunts for him out in the gardens have turned out to be unsuccessful. It’s been frustrating, to say the least. A frustration that only builds as you, Hunk, and Pidge find Hunk’s woven basket sitting on one of the tables in the study. 

        Pidge immediately runs forward and grabs it. There’s no longer cookies inside of it, meaning Keith must have eaten them all by now. You cross your arms and blow a puff of air out. Pidge screeches something you don’t understand as they reach into the basket and hold a paper up in the air. Hunk gasps and gets closer to examine it with them.  _ So he has time to respond to them, but not to even say ‘Hi’ to you? _

 “I can’t believe it! The Beast really responded!”

 “Wow Pidge, ‘This is a test’? That’s what you wrote?” Hunk looks down at them. Pidge puffs out their cheeks.

 “Look it was the best I could think of at the time.” They complain. You step over too, figuring you might as well at least show your friends that you're as excited about this as they are. Even if you’re not feeling it. 

        Hunk flips the paper over and squints at it. Pidge tries to stand on their toes to keep looking at it. You lean against Hunk’s shoulder and look down at the paper. Keith seems to have written a poem on the paper with care.

 

_ I am shimmering, shining, and bright, _

_ Glowing from an inner light.  _

_ Turning a beast in the day, _

_ To one position he must stay. _

_ And I dangle from you _

_ This, your only clue. _

_ A knight with a Lance, _

_ Has only one chance. _

_ When you take me off it’s true _

_ One can certainly find you. _

 

 “I didn’t think the Beast was a poetry guy.” Hunk hums. You know that’s wrong, Keith had told you himself that he wasn’t.

 “I think it’s a riddle?” You read it a few more times again. Each time you read it the more it feels like one.

 “Seriously, a riddle?” Pidge groans as they take it from Hunk and read it over again.

 “So not only is the Beast capable of imagination, but he’s smart enough to play us like a bunch of fools. And he has a mean sense of humor, because, well  _ now  _ it’s a test.” Hunk pouts. Pidge reads it out loud a few times.

 “Y’know what, maybe someone else wrote it.” They sigh as Hunk takes the paper from them. 

 “But who would write it?” You ask. 

 “Professor Thace?” Hunk offers as he reads over the riddle once more. 

 “Why would he?” Pidge asks.

 “I mean, he knows we’re looking for Kei-- I mean the Beast. Why not plant the note as a red herring?” You shrug. 

 “But that’s such a waste of time.” They whine. 

 “Why is the word ‘lance’ capitalized?” Hunk furrows his brow as he looks up at you two. 

 “It’s what?” Pidge tries to look at the paper once more. 

 “The word ‘lance’ is capitalized.” He says. Even you step closer and examine the paper once more. Hunk points it out to you on the paper. 

 “Dude. I think the Beast wrote you a love letter.” Pidge scrunches their nose up as they read it. 

 “What! No! No way!” You feel a heat rise to your cheeks. 

 “I mean, it’d make sense. Your name  _ is _ Lance, and that would be a reason to capitalize it.” Hunk points out. 

 “It’s not a love letter!” You screech as you take the paper from Hunk. “It’s just a riddle!”

 “Well if it’s a riddle then maybe it’s addressed to you?” Pidge puts their hands on their hips.

 “I don’t have a knight.” You mumble as you read over the riddle once more. 

 “But who else usually runs around with lances?” 

 “Okay, fine.” You sigh chewing on your cheek. “But I don’t know what it means.”

 “Maybe we can break it down?” Hunk says, grabbing another sheet of paper. 

 “There are five couplets, but there doesn’t seem to be any other rhyming scheme.” Pidge mumbles, looking at the note with you.

 “Let me see it once more?” Hunk asks. You hand him the paper and he rewrites it, leaving spaces between the couplets. 

 “So the first one,  _ ‘I am shimmering, shining, and bright, glowing from an inner light.’ _ To me, that sounds like whatever this thing is, it’s at least sparkly. ” Pidge hums. Hunk nods and starts a list next to it. 

 “Things like a metal maybe? Glass can be sparkly sometimes.” He adds to the list.

 “Maybe jewelry or a crown?” You offer. Hunk writes them down too. 

 “And the second one is,  _ ‘Turning a beast in the day, to one position he must stay.’ _ So this must be another description of the first couplet.” Hunk muses. 

 “It’s so vague though. Is it freezing a beast?” Pidge hums as they look at it. 

 “Turning a beast… one position he must stay…” You tap your chin. “No, not freeze.” You realize. 

 “It’s not?” Hunk looks over at you.

 “It’s not freezing a beast. It’s -- It’s the sun.” The sun turning a  _ beast _ into a statue. 

 “Why the sun?” Pidge asks.

 “Just trust me. It’s the sun.” 

 “Um okay.” Hunk writes it down. 

 “So a sparkly sun, set in like metal or something.” Pidge leans over the table and looks at the paper.

 “The third,  _ ‘And I dangle from you, this your only clue.’ _ I… I think it’s a piece of jewelry.” You chew on your cheek. 

 “Yeah! It could still be a sun in metal, but just something that dangles off of you.” Pidge nods in agreement.

 “Like a necklace or a bracelet.” Hunk points his pen at Pidge before writing it down.

 “Then the fourth where he calls Lance out,  _ ‘A knight with a Lance, has only one chance.’ _ You got one chance to figure it out.” Pidge looks up at you with a smirk on their face. 

 “Do knights have any significance to your kingdom?” Hunk asks you.

 “I mean, we have a lot of guards in the castle but I think it’s unrelated.” You shrug. You haven’t told Keith anything about your personal life, especially not the little details about your castle. 

 “So then we all agree that it’s about you?” Hunk looks between you and Pidge. 

 “I… I guess so?” You rub the back of your neck.

 “So now, we have a sun in a bracelet or necklace that you own, and you have to make a choice with it.” Hunk writes the new information down. You think you might have an idea of where this is going. 

 “And the last one,  _ ‘When you take me off it’s true, one can certainly find you.’ _ .” Pidge reads. It clicks fully in place. 

        A sun in a necklace, that you were given, that is keeping someone from being near you. A necklace that when you take it off, that someone is suddenly by your side. Your hand comes up to touch the  _ sun _ stone gem hidden beneath your shirt. It now feels like a lead weight around your neck.

 “Now, not to get dirty with this but, it does read a bit… saucy.” Pidge snorts, snapping you out of it.

 “What?” You look over at them.

 “What do you take off? Your clothes.” Pidge shrugs.

 “How is that  _ ‘saucy’ _ ?” Hunk asks for you.

 “Well, you’re naked and bared to the person. Like baring your soul, your secrets, your whole being, that takes a lot of trust. And it’s intimate y’know?” Pidge plays with the corner of the paper Hunk is writing on, not looking up at either of you. 

 “Huh, I guess you’re right.” Hunk taps his pen against his lips as he thinks. You bite your tongue to keep yourself from telling them it’s not that deep. Or you try to.

 “What does being naked have to do with a piece of jewelry?” You roll your eyes.

 “Maybe the Beast wants to get you something that’ll look nice on you.” Hunk looks over at you. 

 “Why do I have to be naked!?”

 “Because he  _ likes _ you. He wants to  _ smooch _ you. He wants to  _ sleep  _ with you.” Pidge starts teasing. Your ears are burning.

 “It’s not like that!”

 “First you go on a date with Romelle, now the Beast wants you.” Hunk smirks.

 “It wasn’t a date!” You fling your arms out.

 “The Beast totally saw you two together and realized he wanted to tap that!” Pidge slams their hands on the table. You cover your face with your hands. 

 “You’re both ridiculous! How do I know  _ you two _ didn’t write the whole thing?” You whine. 

 “Why would we write it?” Hunk asks.

 “I don’t know!” You pull your hands off your face. Keith just can’t see you right now because there was some mishap with the spell he put on the necklace. Maybe it’s pulling so much from his Quintessence, he can’t see you without getting weak. It makes you frown deeply.

 “ _ Or _ maybe these last two couplets are like a code for something.” Pidge offers. 

 “A code for what?” You look over at them. 

 “A meeting place.” 

 “A meeting place?”

 “Yeah, so he can take you out.”

 “Like on a date or an assassination attempt?” 

 “That’s a risk you’ll have to take.” Pidge shrugs. 

 “Lance and the Beast cannot meet alone!” Hunk shakes his head and crosses his arms.

 “What?” You look at him.

 “Yeah, clearly you need  _ us _ to go with you.” He gives you a stern look. 

 “Oh really?” You cross your arms as well. 

 “Yeah, I mean, you’re a  _ prince _ after all. Someone needs to y’know,  _ chaperone _ you two on your date.” Hunk bursts into loud laughter. It’s infectious and has Pidge laughing as well. Even you are smiling and shaking your head. 

 “It’s not a date.” You sigh softly. 

 “Maybe not. But in all seriousness, can we talk about this?” Pidge waves to the note. 

 “Yeah, this is proof that the Beast can read and write. He’s capable of critical thinking and being a bit mean.” Hunk nods. 

 “Not only that but he knows we’re looking for him. And not  _ only _ does he know Lance’s name, but he  _ also _ knows that the three of us hang out together.” 

 “He seems to be a good guy then.” You shrug. 

 “I really think that maybe it could be a code for a meetup place.” Pidge says. 

 “And he wants us to meet him?” You ask.

 “Yeah, or at the very least he wants to meet you and made us the middle man. Which is the same as inviting us.” Pidge holds their hands up. 

 “I don’t think that’s how that usually works,” Hunk says. “Not that I want Lance to meet him alone. I do honestly think you should have someone with you.” He looks up at you. You realize that you’re going to have to play along with this half-baked idea to keep them from prying at what you know about Keith.

 “You’re right, I definitely wouldn’t go meet him alone. I don’t know anything about him and well, he could potentially be dangerous still.” It feels awful to say that out loud. 

 “So what do we do?” Hunk asks.

 “We could start looking for locations, leave him a note there of a date and time you two can stay over and all three of us can meet up with him?” You offer.

 “Meet up with who?” Thace asks, startling you three. He’s standing next to Pidge and leaning over them to look at the papers on the table. You press your hand to your chest and it has you wondering  _ again _ how long he had been standing there. How much did Thace hear this time? 

 “Uh…” Hunk supplies.

 “What’s that?” Thace starts to grab for the paper Hunk had written on the table in front of you. Pidge scoops it up and stuffs it into their mouth. You all stare at them for a moment or two.

 “Nufin’.” They manage to get out. You take the paper from Keith and hold it close to your chest. 

 “It… It’s a bit embarrassing but, I had gotten a love poem from some secret admirer. Hunk and Pidge were helping me take it all apart and it um, well it gets a bit  _ intense _ at the end.” You duck your face and look up at Thace.

 “Ah, I see.” He chuckles. “I used to write something like that to Ulaz quite often.”

 “Oh?” 

 “It was rather fun to watch how red he’d turn in the middle of class while reading them.” He starts to walk back to the front of the class. 

 “Gross.” Pidge makes a face. Thace chuckles.

 “Get your papers ready, there should be a lot of notes.” He says. Pidge and Hunk lean in close to you.

 “We’ll talk more about this after class.” Pidge whispers. 

 “Yeah man, we got this.” Hunk agrees softly. You nod and take your seat at the desk. 

        While the two of them aren’t looking you reach up and undo the clasp holding your necklace. You pull it out and tuck it into your pocket for safekeeping. Maybe if you’re lucky Hunk and Pidge will forget about this all when class ends. 


	13. Coincidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for the chapter include:
> 
> A particularly violent scene, it's not actually happening but Lance is painfully aware of it
> 
> Pidge has a panic attack

        You are not as lucky as you like to think you are. Perhaps all your luck has been spent already. It’s been spent surviving the attempt on your father’s life, on your parent’s blindness to your abilities, on finding a home within Altea, and on finding Keith in one of your darkest moments. Even though _your_ brain feels overloaded from the lesson, Hunk and Pidge still remember the riddle Keith had given to you. 

        The moment Thace wraps up his lesson they spring back to life, vibrating with an excitable energy. Thace gives you all a curious look, but you excuse it with a weak lie about the secret admirer. He stares at you, as if trying to read your very soul. He turns to pack up and you swear for a moment his eyes linger on the hatch leading to Keith’s room. 

        Is it unsettling? Yes. 

        Is Thace onto you? Maybe.

        Would he hurt you? No. Or at least you don’t think he would. 

 “Alright, I’ll let you three get back to young love now.” He turns back to face you all. 

 “Thanks Professor.” You groan softly. Again he seems to linger on you.

 “I do ask for you to be safe. Sometimes it’s best to let sleeping beasts lie.” 

 “Of course.” You try to ignore the chill that runs down your back at his words. Thace gives you a warm smile and a polite bow before leaving the room. 

 “Dude, he _so_ knows what we’re going to do.” Hunk whines. 

 “Yeah, ugh.” Pidge rolls their eyes. “Not that it’s going to stop us though, right?” They look up at both you and Hunk. 

 “Well, it’s not going to stop me.” Hunk smiles, turning to you. 

 “I… I don’t know, maybe Thace is right. Maybe we should just let this go.” You tuck your hands in your pockets, fingers wrapping around your necklace and shrugging. 

 “Not when we’re this _close_ to the truth!” Pidge holds up their hand and shows you their thumb and index finger touching. 

 “Or do you just want to meet the Beast alone so you can get your mack on?” Hunk teases. 

 “No!” Your face turns red again. 

 “Then let’s look for this meeting place he wants us to go to!” Pidge stomps their foot. 

 “Fine!” You tilt your head back and groan. 

 “Sick. To quote a famous detective, ‘Let’s split up and look for clues’.” Pidge says. 

 “Wait, wait, wait. We can’t just split up!” Hunk says, grabbing Pidge by their shoulder before they could start to walk away.

 “Why not?”

 “Look, Lance can walk around the castle by himself and it not look weird. But you and I? It’ll _certainly_ look weird.”

 “Hunk’s right, you’d need a chaperone. Especially if you’re wandering where Shiro, Allura, and I sleep.” You nod in agreement. 

 “But we’ll cover more ground split up. This place is too big for a trio to make good work of.” Pidge whines. You chew your cheek and make a choice. 

 “I have an idea.”

 “Oh?” Hunk looks at you.

 “We can ask Romelle to join us.” You offer.

 “Romelle?” Pidge gives you a flat look.

 “Look, she’s important enough that it won’t seem weird for her to be with one of you in the middle of the castle grounds. Most of the people will assume she’s escorting you around.”

 “You know, you really aren’t making your case for not having a crush on her.” Hunk points out.

 “She’s _strictly_ a good friend of mine. I have _no_ interest in her in _that_ way.” You wave a hand out sharply. “Besides, she likes someone else.” You give Hunk a large smile and a wink.

 “Of course she does.” Hunk shakes his head. 

 “I’ll go find her and be right back,” You tell him and then turn to Pidge. “Stay. Put.”

 “Sure thing, _dad_.” They roll their eyes.

 “I’ll have you know that I’ll take that as a compliment. I’d make a great dad.” You stick your tongue out at them as you leave the study. 

        The first thing you do is _not_ look for Romelle. Your necklace feels like it’s burning a hole in your pocket and you want to put it somewhere safer. You scurry up to your room and open the drawer of your nightstand. You tuck the necklace safely inside and close it. You rest your hands on the surface of the nightstand, looking at the flowers, and sigh deeply. 

        Maybe you can see Keith tonight with it off. Maybe he can explain what happened and the two of you can fix it. You push yourself upright, running a hand through your hair and adjusting your clothes. There’s a knock on your door and you curiously answer it. 

 “Prince Lance! The maids were telling me that you looked upset, is everything alright?” Romelle is standing right outside your door. 

 “Actually, I was about to come looking for you.” You give her a smile as you step out of your room.

 “You were?” She blinks, surprised. 

 “I know you’ve been busy these last few days with Allura but I was wondering if you’d like to hang out with my friends and I?” You offer her your arm. 

 “Oh, I don’t know if I should…” She plays with her skirt. 

 “Please?” You pout. She smiles softly and relents.

 “Alright, but only for a bit. If I get called back then I must go. You’re very lucky that Coran is currently the one chaperoning the Princess and the King.” She hooks her hand in the crook of your arm. 

 “Thank the Gods above for small mercies, huh? C’mon, Hunk and Pidge are down in the study right now.” You say, leading the way. She laughs at your burst of energy and follows after you quickly. 

        When you open the door, Pidge is laying on the table in front of Hunk. They’re staring at the ceiling while Hunk lays small pieces of paper over their body. Romelle looks up at you with concern but you simply shrug. You have no idea what’s going on either. 

 “What are you two doing?” You ask. 

 “Pidge said they died, like, thirty seconds after you left. I’m currently doing an autopsy.” Hunk says, setting another paper down on Pidge. Romelle steps closer and looks at the papers.

 “Shouldn’t that organ be over here?” She asks taking one of the papers and moving it to its ‘appropriate’ place. Hunk looks down at it and then hums. 

 “Huh, you’re right, that would be more accurate. Sorry Pidge I put your appendix in the wrong place. Thanks Romelle.” He smiles at her. 

 “No problem at all.”

 “I don’t have an appendix though.” Pidge looks down at the papers on their body.

 “What do you mean you don’t have an appendix?” You look at them.

 “It decided to burst for no good reason and it had to be removed.” Pidge shrugs. “So clearly that appendix isn’t mine.”

 “Can’t believe we have a murder mystery on our hands now.” Hunk jokes. 

 “Oh yeah, got drugged and instead of stealing my organs for the black market they just added some.” Pidge snickers. 

 “That would be one way to smuggle goods across borders.” Romelle agrees. 

 “You did say you always wanted to be executed in another kingdom.” You remind Pidge. They groan and sit up, scattering papers everywhere. Hunk pouts a bit at his lost work but turns to Romelle. 

 “Did Lan-- Prince Lance tell you what we were doing?”

 “He told me that you were hanging out. He failed to mention anything else.” She looks over to you with a teasing smile. 

 “We’re doing a scavenger hunt.” Pidge mentions, collecting the last of the papers on their body and handing them to Hunk. 

 “A scavenger hunt?” Romelle tilts her head. 

 “Don’t tell me royals don’t have scavenger hunts either.”

 “I’m not royal.” Romelle frowns slightly. “I’m a noblewoman.”

 “My apologies, do _nobility_ not have scavenger hunts?” Pidge crosses their arms and rolls their eyes. 

 “We do.” You cut in before this could get further out of hand. You have no idea where Pidge’s sass is coming from though. 

 “What are we looking for?” Romelle asks.

 “So we have this riddle, and it leads us to this meeting place. So we’re trying to figure out where this meeting place could be.” Hunk starts off, shuffling the smaller papers into a single pile. 

 “Why are you looking for a meeting place?” 

 “There could be more to the riddle hidden there.” You offer before anyone else can open their mouth. 

 “That would make sense.” Romelle nods. “What do we know about the place to begin with?”

 “Prince Lance, do you still have the riddle?” Hunk looks over at you. 

 “You don’t have to call me by my title, you know that right?” You raise an eyebrow while you fetch the riddle out of the textbook you had borrowed for the day. Hunk rubs the back of his neck with a soft blush. 

 “Sorry, it’s just…” He gestures with a jerk of his head to Romelle. 

 “It’s fine, I’m giving you my permission.” You shrug and hand him back the riddle. He reads the riddle out loud for Romelle. 

 

_I am shimmering, shining, and bright,_

_Glowing from an inner light._

_Turning a beast in the day,_

_To one position he must stay._

_And I dangle from you_

_This, your only clue._

_A knight with a Lance,_

_Has only one chance._

_When you take me off it’s true_

_One can certainly find you._

 

 “It sounds more like a ‘What am I’ riddle than a location.” She says. 

 “That’s one of the things we thought of too. The first half being an object the second half being a place.” Pidge hops off the table. 

 “Try it for me once more?” Romelle asks closing her eyes. Hunk nods and re-reads it out loud for her. Pidge paces around, drumming their fingers over their lips as they think.

 “Well honestly my first thoughts are the garrison where the knights stay or perhaps the armory since it’d be where the lances are kept. If nothing else then maybe the old chapel?” Romelle opens her eyes. 

 “The chapel?” Pidge looks at her.

 “Yes. Where one could take off their sins, be purified by a High Priest, and be met by the Gods.” She ticks off her fingers. 

 “Huh, that’s a really good point. I hadn’t thought of that.” Hunk looks up at Romelle from the paper.

 “Okay, so where do we go to?” You look at them.

 “Not the armory.” Pidge grunts. They mumble something under their breath that sounds suspiciously like your name.  

 “That’s true, Prince Lance would be the only one with clearance to perhaps look at the place. He most certainly couldn’t bring a guest in there either.” Romelle nods in agreement. 

 “So the garrison or the chapel.” Hunk grabs another slip of paper and starts to copy down the riddle once more. 

 “I didn’t even know there was a chapel here.” Pidge looks over at you. 

 “It’d make sense. Lady Honerva had been the High Priestess here.” You shrug.

 “She was?” Romelle snaps her gaze over to you.

 “It’s one of the reasons why I’ll be taking lessons from her.” 

 “...And you’re sure that it’s a good idea?” She asks. 

 “Of course it is! She wouldn’t want to hurt me right?” You give her a big fake grin. Hunk and Pidge exchange a look before making a face. Hunk hands Keith’s paper to Pidge, keeping the one he himself wrote. You glance at it and notice he changed it so your name now had the lowercase ‘L’.

 “What was it you said earlier Pidge?” You look over at them.

 “Split up and look for clues?” They give you a confused look. 

 “That’s it! Brick-Hammer-Kolivan for the garrison?” 

 “Oh my -- fine.” Pidge sighs, shifting to face you fully and raising their hands. 

 “Between me and Romelle.”

 “Why?” 

 “Because, one of us has to escort one of you.” You shrug. “What do you say Romelle?”

 “Do… do you think the chapel has spiders in it?” She asks softly, playing with her skirt.

 “Scared of spiders?” Pidge leans against the table. Romelle stares at the ground and turns a bit red.

 “I don’t mind taking the chapel Romelle. It could be full of other creepy crawlies.” You rest a hand on her shoulder and give her a warm smile. 

 “Like, millipedes? Millipedes are not my thing.” Hunk shudders. _Well hey, that plays out perfectly._

 “What, no. Millipedes aren’t indig--”

 “There is totally a millipede or two in there.” You cut Pidge off. They give you the most confused look. 

 “Gross.” Hunk sticks out his tongue. 

 “Not _only_ that, but if Romelle is going to go over by the knights I’d rather someone a bit _intimidating_ accompany her. Just to keep them from even getting an idea.” You say. “No offense Pidge.”

 “None taken.” They grunt through a clenched jaw. 

 “Thank you.” Romelle rests her hand over yours. You give her a wink and nudge her over to Hunk. She looks briefly confused but goes over to him anyway. 

 “Where’s the old chapel?” You ask her.

 “Near the eastern portion of the castle by the wall.” She tells you. 

 “We’ll meet up back here in, what, an hour or two? Will that give you enough time?” You look been Hunk and Romelle. 

 “An hour.” She decides for them. 

 “An hour then.” You smile. Hunk holds his hand out, palm down. You give it a curious look and then glance up at him for an explanation. However, Pidge takes your hand and sets it on top of Hunks, placing theirs on top of yours. Romelle follows suit, just as confused as you are. 

 “On three?” Hunk looks at all of you.

 “What’s happening on three?” You ask him.

 “One.” Pidge counts. 

 “Seriously what are we doing?”

 “Two.” Hunk continues. 

 “Are you going to implode?” Romelle look at them.

 “Three!” Pidge shouts.

 “Break!” The two of them say at the same time lifting their hands, and consequently yours, up.

 “Break what?” Romelle asks. Pidge grabs your arm and pulls you to follow them out of the study quickly. You stagger after them and give Romelle an awkward wave goodbye. 

        You eventually have to pull Pidge to a stop. They groan and let go of you. You watch them stomp around in a small circle. 

 “Why’d you stop me?”

 “Pidge, the eastern portion of the castle is that way.” You point back the way the two of you came. 

 “You should have said so sooner!” They whine grabbing your arm once more and darting in that direction. 

        You let yourself be dragged by Pidge for a while, making sure to give the staff friendly smiles to ensure they don’t call the guards. When you finally make it to the courtyard you realize how little of the castle you’ve really seen. Shiro had mainly shown you where the important elements were at but not the other more minor details. Things like this courtyard and the other wing of the castle itself were not on his list. You take a moment to appreciate the space. 

        Another large fountain stands near the middle of the courtyard. This one however is absolutely massive compared to the one in the gardens. It’s made to resemble one of the castles towers with four large tiers and a tall spire at its tip. It bubbles soft streams of water out of the different tiers, gathering in the deep basin at the bottom. If you had to take a guess, the water would come to your mid-thigh if you were to step in. 

        The most important thing however, is Keith, clinging to the top. Your heart skitters in your chest when you see him. He’s clutching the spire with one hand, leaning out as far as he dared to. His other hand rests on the top of the first tier where the base of the spire is next to one of his feet. The other is outstretched, toes just barely touching the bottom of the second tier. His wings are spread out, wider on one side than the other to help him keep balanced. 

        He seems to have been frozen, waiting for something to happen. You glance over your shoulder and realize he’s looking in the direction of your room. It’s a detail that makes your stomach flip around. _Was he waiting for you?_ Pidge is no longer by your side, off a bit in the distance and heading for what most certainly _looks_ like a chapel.

 “Hey you.” You chuckle softly as you approach Keith, deciding the coast is clear. You kneel on the edge of the fountain and try to reach out for him. The tower itself is too far away and most definitely too tall from where you’re currently sitting to reach him. It doesn’t stop you from wishing you could though.  

 “I don’t know if you can hear me like that up there, but, I got your note. I took the necklace off. It’s in my nightstand where your flowers are.” You tell him, a bit of a blush warming your face. “I’ll see you tonight okay? Promise.” You cross your heart. 

        You close your eyes and try to focus on his Quintessence, but it seems to be as frozen as he is. It doesn’t flicker or glow, doesn’t contain it’s usual warmth, if it weren’t for the fact that you know him to have it you would have mistaken it to not exist in the first place. And perhaps if you hadn’t come to know his Quintessence, you wouldn’t have spotted him on the fountain to begin with.

 “Lance! C’mon! I want to check out the creepy chapel!” Pidge calls out. 

 “I’m coming!” You shout back.

 “Hurry up!”

 “Sorry, I have to go now.” You look up at him one last time before catching up with Pidge. 

 “I can’t _believe_. Even with Romelle and the Beast on you, you’re still thirsty.” They snort.

 “I don’t know what your talking about.” You walk past them and to the chapel doors. 

 “Were you looking for a lady to give you a sword?” They tease standing next to you. 

 “Strange women lying in ponds, or well fountains in this case, distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.” You try to read the inscription carved above the doors. 

 “Says who?”

 “The government.”

 “Do they now?”

 “I mean, I just said it didn’t I?” You snicker and shrug.The inscription is impossible for you. It’s far too weathered down and the parts you are able to make out aren’t in a language you know. You hope it’s a blessing, especially as you push the heavy doors open and step inside. 

It’s dusty from disuse, a fact that makes a part of you ache. There are in fact, cobwebs that hang from the ceiling and along the pews. The rose window isn’t even letting in any more light from the grime that covers the stained glass. You turn around and see that Pidge has not moved from where they were standing earlier. 

 “Pidge?” They’re staring up at the inscription that you had been looking at. 

 “Is there any _other_ chapels around here?” They ask.

 “I don’t know. Probably not. Why?”

 “I could be wrong with some of the words, it’s worn down and all, plus my Old Galran is a bit rusty. But I don’t think we should stay inside here for too long.” They say adjusting their glasses.

 “What do you think it says?”

 “ _‘Blessed by the Fires of the Dark’_.” They squint at the inscription.

 “Dark fires?” You look around the building but see no place for anything more than a candle to be lit.

 “Remember how the castle was burned down?” Pidge says jerking their thumb back to Stoneheart as they walk in.

 “Yeah.” You run your fingers over the pews as you step further in.

 “Well it became known as ‘The Dark Fire’.” 

 “So it’s…?”

 “Cursed probably. Who blesses a chapel with violence and bloodshed?” They make a face at the cobwebs. You have an idea of at least one person, you shudder and push Honerva out of your mind for now.

 “Guess it’s a good thing Romelle didn’t take the chapel then.” You mention as you stand at the altar. You ignore the strange rusty stains on it, telling yourself it’s due to age.

 “So you could protect her from curses?”

 “I’m already cursed Pidge, I think that means I have immunity from all other curses.” You joke as you turn around and face the rose window. It feels a bit strange to call your abilities a curse now if you’re being honest with yourself. 

 “What do you mean you’re cursed? Are you talking about how you’re gifted with the potential for magick?” Pidge looks over at you. 

 “Yeah I am. It’s… Well it’s a bit complicated. See, back home it would be considered this _huge_ curse. But _here_? Not so much it seems.” 

 “What do _you_ think it is then?”

 “I’ll let you know when I have it figured out.” You give them a smile. 

 “Even if you end up thinking you’re cursed, I don’t think that’s how that’s how curse immunity works at all.” They comment. “I don’t think you _can_ be immune to curses.”

 “But what if my curse _is_ to be immune to curses?”

 “Is that _really_ a curse or a blessing?” 

 “Fair enough. Anyway, the reason it’s a good thing Romelle didn’t come here is because of all the spiders.” You gesture to another large cobweb hanging in a stained glass window. 

 “Speaking of spiders, what the hell were you going on about with the millipedes? They aren’t indigienous to this area and Hunk wouldn’t have seen one.” They cross their arms. 

 “Well would you have liked to hang out with Romelle instead?” You look over at them.

 “Maybe not…” They grunt as they chew on their fingers. 

 “What’s up with you and her anyway?” You press.

 “Nothing’s up.”

 “Are you maybe jealous?” You rest your hands on your hips.

 “Why would I be jealous?” They shake their head as they start to kneel down and look underneath the pews. What for, you’re not sure. 

 “I mean, I _have_ been trying to set her up with Hunk.” You say. Pidge’s head thunks hard against one of the pews as they try to sit upright quickly. They rub the sore spot and then look over at you.

 “You’re doing _what?_ ” They hiss. 

 “Romelle likes Hunk, so I figured I’d help them try to get together as a good friend does.”

 “Romelle likes Hunk?” They ask you softly.

 “Yeah, she does.”

 “Oh.” They say, voice small. 

 “Is everything alright?” You ask them. 

 “It’s nothing.” They shake their head. 

 “Now now Pidge, lying in the house of the Gods is frowned upon.” You tease them gently. 

 “You’re not a Priest and this is not a confessional booth.” They spread their arms out. You shake your head. You won’t be getting any answers from them you suppose. It’s time for a subject change perhaps.

 “So what is it we’re supposed to find to know this is the place?” You ask them. 

 “Honestly I was hoping you would know since the riddle is, y’know, addressed to you.” Pidge shrugs. 

 “You are something else, you know that?” You groan and look about the place once more. You’re not sure if to lie and ‘pretend’ to find something, or just tell them the truth. Pidge looks at another pew before looking over at you.

 “I was thinking maybe some sort of sunstone?” Your conscious won’t let you lie here in a chapel.

 “A sunstone?”

 “Just a feeling I have.”

 “You seem to have quite a few of those.” They hum. “What does a sunstone look like?” They ask you. 

 “Have you not seen one before?” 

 “The shiniest rock I’ve ever seen was a stone my brother had spit on before he skipped it across a lake.”

 “Oh… okay. Why’d he spit on it?” You furrow your brows.

 “Something about aerodynamics I think? Honestly couldn’t tell you either.” They shrug. “He was weird.”

 “A sunstone is kind of orange and it’s really sparkly. It’s like looking at a mini sun if you will.” You tell them.

 “Sounds pretty.” They restart their search.

 “It is.” You agree stepping closer to the votive candles. You touch their waxy surfaces and frown when you notice there’s strange sigils carved into them. Or perhaps they’re not sigils but words. 

 “Hey Pidge?”

 “Huh?” They grunt from where the blessed water would be kept. 

 “What does this say?” You ask. They come over to you and look at the candles, tilting their head. 

 “Well that just says _‘end’_.” They gesture to one of them. 

 “Well what about this one?” You point to a taller, less used candle. They have to step in front of you to read it. When they do you feel their Quintessence brush against yours. 

        It’s jagged, sharp, feeling more like knives and sparks and metal on your tongue. It’s chaotic and pushing at everything around it instead of drawing anything in. You stagger away from them, trying to pull yours in. It leaves you feeling a bit overexposed, raw, a live wire. Your hands shake as you try to center yourself.

 “ _‘What’s mine’_ . Well there’s this part right before it that look like the letters ‘K’ and ‘E’ so I’ll go with it being _‘Take what’s mine’_.” Pidge says as they read the candle. Their voice sounds far away from you, muddled against the frantic pulse of where their Quintessence touches yours. You finally manage to detangle the two, pulling yours in tightly. 

        It feels strange after having let it be so free recently. It’s feels like your trying to put on clothes you’ve long since outgrown. It simply won’t fit entirely within you anymore. You’re not sure how to feel about it either. 

 “Lance?” They turn to give you a curious look.

 “I’m fine.” You cling to the altar with white knuckles, praying to keep yourself upright. Pidge takes a half step closer to you and you press yourself further against the altar. It also has a lingering energy to it, old and fading. 

        It feels like choking on blood, thick in your throat as you try to gasp for air. The smell of iron and ash lingering in the air as someone screams and pleads. It’s the feeling of sharp and deep slashes across your chest and arms, of being carved into and being ripped open. Thick and tacky liquid runs along your hands, dripping onto the floor as your body sings with pain. It’s dark and dangerous and reminds you too much of Honerva but not quite at the same time. 

        It ripples through your Quintessence, shaking your very core and leaving you sick to your stomach. You close your eyes tightly and try to push the echoes of whatever happened here away. Unfortunately, it just has you colliding back with Pidge’s. It’s too dark, it’s too bright. You’re very overwhelmed by it all. 

 “Lance?” You feel them tug your arm.

 “Don’t.” You try to pull away, stumbling around the altar to give the two of you breathing space. 

 “Dude, seriously, you’re freaking me out. What’s going on? Are you getting possesed?” Pidge asks.

 “I think we should leave.” You choke out, staggering to the doors and tripping into the pews. You collapse onto your knees outside of the chapel. 

        Pidge pulls the heavy doors shut and like that it’s lingering energy is sealed back up. Now you only have to deal with the overexposure that is Pidge’s Quintessence at this moment. You hold your hand out to keep them from getting too close to you. 

 “Do I need to go run for a Priest? Do you need to be purified?” They ask from a safe distance away from you.

 “I just need a moment.” You hiss under your breath. _Grounding yourself to the here and now will help you center yourself,_ you can practically hear Veronica say. 

        You close your eyes and dig your fingers into the earth beneath you. You focus in on how it feels under your fingertips and the annoying way it gets under your nails. Your knees ache from the hard crash you did and your pulse pounds steadily through your veins. _You’re at ease._

        Your Quintessence _finally_ settles down calmly around you. It’s no longer polluted by the dark vibes from the chapel. Nor is it being disturbed from Pidge’s restlessness. It’s as gentle as the fountain Keith clings to. Your body relaxes, tension draining out of you and into the ground under you. 

 “Okay, let’s head back to the study.” You slowly get up to your feet, patting your hands to get rid of the dirt that clings to them. 

 “Are you sure you’re okay?” Pidge asks.

 “I’m fine now. It was suddenly just a lot to handle.” You shrug and tuck your hands into your pockets. 

 “What happened?” They ask as you start to head for the castle. 

 “I was overwhelmed really.”

 “I honestly thought you were getting possesed.” Pidge crosses their arms. 

 “I don’t blame you.” You say, your humorous tone falling flat on its face when Pidge gives you a concerned look. You glance over at the fountain as you pass by it. _Soon_ , you tell yourself. 

 “Let’s hope Hunk and Romelle found something at least.” You sigh, crossing your arms behind your head as you stroll through the halls. 

 “I don’t know if I would be happy or pissed.” Pidge grunts. 

 “I’d hope you’d be happy? It’s getting you closer to the Beast afterall.” You glance down at them. _Which means you'll have to talk to Keith about this._

 “Yeah I guess.” They shrug. 

        You two get into the study shortly after. You glance around the room and frown slightly when you don’t see either Hunk or Romelle. Though, to be fair, you and Pidge are here a bit early. You chew on your cheek as you watch Pidge collect their things and organize it neatly. Or at least, neat for them.

 “Well, they’ve got like twenty minutes left before the hour’s up.” You say walking over to them.

 “Let’s hope they don’t _need_ all twenty of them.” Pidge grunts. 

 “They won’t.” You tell them. 

        But then the twenty minutes pass. 

        Then twenty more.

        And another ten more.

        They’re a half hour late. Pidge is anxiously organizing their books and papers, Hunk’s items, collecting dust bunnies and arranging them in lines by their sizes. You peek at the hatch leading to Keith’s room, you want the night to just hurry up and come already just so you can go in there and check on him.

        They’re now _nearly_ an hour late. Pidge has moved onto chewing their fingers into pieces. You keep trying to take their hands away from their mouth, but every time you look away they’ve got them in there again. 

 “ _What’s_ taking them so long?” Pidge huffs as you steal their hands away again. They’ve managed to bite several of their nails down _too_ short and the skin around them is bleeding. You click your tongue softly at them.

 “You know as much as I do Pidge.” You say.

 “Do you think they got stabbed or something? Maybe killed? What if Romelle is some spy and a traitor and she just kidnapped Hunk?” 

 “Wow, firstly, rude. Don’t accuse Romelle of being a spy or a traitor. Especially not when she’s _Allura’s handmaid._ Do you know how much trouble you’d get them both into?”

 “Ugh!” Pidge whines and tries to pull their hands away from you. You hold them firmly.

 “Can’t have you mess them up more than you already have.” You chide when they make more noises of complaint. “How about you stop biting them and find something else to chew on?”

 “Like what?”

 “I dunno.” You shrug. They go to say some scathing remark when you two hear loud laughter from just outside the study. You both turn to face the doors as Hunk and Romelle step in, a _full_ hour late now.

        Romelle is leaning heavily against Hunk, not bothering to cover her smile as she practically doubles over with laughter. Hunk has an arm around her waist to help keep her upright as he laughs heartily with her. Pidge is seething next to you.

 “Are you drunk right now? Our parents will literally murder you.” Pidge snaps at them.

 “What? No!” Romelle places her hand against her chest. 

 “Yeah, they had offered us some but we didn’t touch it. Promise.” Hunk crosses his heart. “We just had a lot of fun with the knights and squires.” 

 “You’re an _hour_ late!” Pidge throws their arms out in frustration. 

 “Relax, Pidge, everything’s okay.” Hunk tries to calm them down. They bury their fingers in their hair.

 “We were worried sick about you!” 

 “Prince Lance, I’m so sorry.” Romelle immediately apologizes. You hold a hand up.

 “I’m fine, it’s okay.”

 “No it’s not!” Pidge looks up at you, misty eyed. Hunk unwraps his arm from Romelle and steps closer to Pidge. 

 “I’m right here Pidge. I didn’t disappear.” He pulls their hands out of their hair and wraps them up in a tight hug.

 “You weren’t where you said you’d be…” They sniffle into his chest. 

 “I’m _so_ sorry Pidge. I honestly lost track of time. Romelle and I were having a lot of fun and I think we found a few clues.” He tells them, voice gentle and soothing. They make some noise in response that makes Hunk nod his head and hum a soft tune. 

        You feel like you’re intruding on a rather private moment and when you look over at Romelle you know she’s thinking the same thing. 

 “Sorry, they get like this sometimes since Matt disappeared.” Hunk tells you when he glances over at you. You nod in understanding. Romelle hesitantly steps closer to you, playing with her skirt. You tuck your hands into your pockets and look back up at the hatch again. _Soon Keith,_ you think to yourself 

 “You feeling better?” Hunk asks when Pidge leans back. They nod mutely, taking their glasses off. Hunk gently takes the glasses from them and uses his own shirt to dry them off. He sets them on the table and gives Pidge another large hug.

 “What did you find?” Pidge croaks out, voice wrecked. Hunk passes them back their glasses and they slide them onto their face.

 “Okay so we showed up to the garrison, and the knights asked us what we were looking for. Apparently they don’t usually get visitors who aren’t there to become a knight.” Hunk starts off.

 “We told them about the riddle and they all got rather invested in it as well.” Romelle chuckles softly behind her hand. “It was kind of sweet. Antok, Captain of the Guard, took us around to a few places that he could think of.”

 “Yeah, yeah! He was a little strange, very quiet, but he knew his way around like no one’s business! I mean, I guess that’s why he’s the Captain?” Hunk shrugs. 

 “Either way, he showed us this hallway that was lined with different styles of older armor that no one was using anymore.” Romelle continues.

 “Like a trophy room?” You ask.

 “Sort of, yeah!” She nods.

 “What was so special about it?” Pidge asks, voice more stable now.

 “Well, okay, so one of the suits of armor has this shield right? And on this shield was a crest with a sun on it. Heck the thing was painted in yellows and reds too!” Hunk says, excited. 

 “Another one of the suits was arranged to hold a _lance_!” Romelle claps her hands together, bouncing on her heels.

 “Holy shit.” You murmur. _Keith is so lucky for these coincidences._

 “I… Wow. That really could be the place.” Pidge says. 

 “We couldn’t search for too long, but Antok says we’re more than welcome to check the place out again. Granted we have to be with him to do so.” Romelle says.

 “Why do we have to be with _him_ specifically?” You ask.

 “I… I’m not sure entirely why.”

 “He said it was to ‘make sure we’re not getting too deep into something we shouldn’t’.” Hunk says, dropping his voice to mimic this Antok guy. 

 “That doesn’t sound ominous at _all_.” You rub your arms to rid yourself of the goosebumps that had risen up. 

 “I assured him we were just playing a game, but he didn’t seem to believe me.” Romelle sighs. Hunk and Pidge exchange a look, Hunk rubbing the back of his neck. 

 “So uh, what did you and Lance find?” He clears his throat.

 “Nothing. But we’re probably cursed now, so there’s that.” Pidge shrugs.

 “Cursed? Why would you be cursed?” Hunk looks between you two in a panic.

 “The chapel is… not good.” You mention, the memory of the energy of the chapel threatening to creep up on you.

 “Yeah, I thought Lance had gotten possessed.” Pidge looks over at you.

 “I wasn’t.” You hold your hands up before either Hunk or Romelle could ask. “I was just getting overwhelmed by the place. Lots of spiderwebs, dust, candles, and creepy energy.” You gesture to yourself and Pidge.

 “Are you both okay though?” Hunk asks you two. 

 “That explains why you’re so dirty.” Romelle murmurs at the same time. 

 “We’re fine. And we’re _not_ cursed.” You give Pidge a look.

 “That you know of.” They point out. You groan and roll your eyes. You can see the sun is just starting to set outside. Romelle seems to notice it too and gasps.

 “I know you said we were an hour late, but I didn’t realize it would be _this_ late!” She looks at all of you.

 “We should be heading back now.” Hunk murmurs, looking out at the sunset as well.

 “Yeah, last time we got in trouble. Or well, as much trouble one can get in when showing up in a royal carriage in fancy clothes.” Pidge shrugs, admiring the view as well. 

 “Let me escort you both out then. Prince Lance I do recommend you take a shower if you’ll be joining us all for dinner.” Romelle turns her attention from the sunset to you. 

 “Definitely need that shower.” You agree, snickering softly. She smiles and then turns to Hunk and Pidge.

 “Let’s go. I’ll get a carriage ready for you two quickly.” She tells them and heads for the study door. Hunk waves for you to step closer to him so you do, Pidge leaning in as well. 

 “Alright, I really do think that’s the place from the riddle. Just go ahead and make sure you leave a reply and Pidge and I can see if we can stay over tomorrow night?” Hunk whispers, looking back and forth between you and Pidge.

 “Definitely.” Pidge agrees. 

 “I’ll try.” You tell them. _Gods above you hope Keith will let them have this_.

 “Thanks man.” Hunk smiles and wraps you in a tight hug before letting you go. Pidge slugs your arm and follows close to Hunk. You watch their hands occasionally brush against the other and you wonder how Hunk has the patience and strength of a God. You would have grabbed that hand by now.

        They wave once more as they step out and make their way down the hallway where their carriage will eventually be brought to. You run your hands through your hair and scurry back to your room. 


	14. Kindling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for this chapter include:
> 
> Some slight sexual thoughts  
> Nudity  
> Innuendo  
> More violence, but in the form of drowning, acid burns, and near death experiences.

        You make it to your room right as the sun finally dips below the horizon. You make a beeline for your closet for a towel. You quickly dart into your bathroom and kick the door shut. A glance at the mirror tells you that the dark smudge has now almost faded completely. It still bothers you though, and you find yourself hanging your towel over the mirror for now. 

        You pull your clothes off and look yourself over. The feelings from the chapel had felt so intense, so real, you honestly expect to see bloody, oozing, gashes all over your body. But you don’t. All you see is your own skin, unmarred from injuries. You turn the shower on and step under the spray.

        You give your face a careful scrub before slicking your hair back with the water. It’s soothing and nice as it beats at your body. You wash your hair with the sweet smelling shampoo you had stolen from Allura during the move here. As your rubbing your soap bar across your arms and chest, perhaps a bit harder to get rid of the feelings that still linger, your mind wanders to Keith. 

        Keith and his broad shoulders with the thick scar, and large wings, carrying himself in a way to try and seem smaller. Keith and his strong, steady, Quintessence that he manipulates with a confidence that you only wish to have one day. Keith and his seemingly vast knowledge on magick, and yet, he had to leave you some weird ass riddle to talk to you. 

        How was he unable to break the spell on his own? He can pull corrupted Quintessence out of your veins. He can carve burning sigils into your doors. He can cradle you in his Quintessence. But he can’t break some simple spell? It seems rather unbelievable. It’d make more sense if he was using this as an excuse to get some down time away from you.

        But then again, he doesn’t seem to be that kind of person. You have a feeling he would tell you if he needed alone time. Just him and himself in his room. If the spell was really so strong that he couldn’t even get a peep out to you before, you have to congratulate him on getting a note done. How many loopholes did he have to go through? How did he know it was the spell? What would he need to break it for good?

        You find yourself hoping that with the sunstone off, you’ll be able to get some answers from him. You drag the soap bar over your legs. Keith will probably want to get you caught up on the lessons you’ve missed. Your eyes fall shut as you imagine him walking you through another spell. His Quintessence warm and washing over yours, giving you a sense of security. His touch ever so gentle as he guides your body to where it needs to be. His voice a murmur, a whisper, into your ear as his very firm and stone hard body presses up against yo-- Wow! Okay! Time out, brain!

        With an embarrassed whine, you step out of the shower and shake _that_ thought away. _What’s up with you?_ Clearly, you shouldn’t be thinking about Keith while in the shower anymore. Especially if your thoughts start trying to go down _that_ path. You pull the towel off the mirror and dry yourself off. You wrap it around your waist once you’re done and step out to get fresh clothes. 

        Stupid Keith and his stupid stone body and his stupid Quintessence! You try hard to focus on that instead. You grumble under your breath as you march over to your closet. You grab a change of clothes and set them aside, pulling the towel off your waist. Over your shoulder you hear a choking sound and you are quick to grab your towel and at least cover your bits. You whip around to yell at the intruder but see Keith and freeze. He’s already drawn his wings up over his head to give you back your privacy.

 “Keith!” You screech.

 “Yep! Hi! It’s me! Keith!” He doesn’t move. 

 “I’m naked!”

 “I _saw_ that!”

 “Well turn around!” Your face is bright red. _First your mind wanders in the gutter in the shower, now he’s here?_ Fate hates you, truly hates you. Keith though does turn around. 

        Once you have your pants and undershirt on you look over at him. You have to admit that how he is gives you a good view of his back. Your eyes follow down the curve of his spine before catching on his tail. It’s twitching, almost agitated, and it’s not quite what you expected. He had mentioned that he had one, but since you hadn’t seen it you assumed it was rather small. It peeks out from under his loincloth a bit more than you had thought it would.

 “Prince Lance?” His voice is soft, as he turns just slightly. 

 “Hmm?” You watch his tail curl in response. 

 “Are… are you dressed now?”

 “Huh? Oh! Yeah I am.” You tear your eyes off his tail. He turns around, wings settling back down on his shoulders. He peeks out from between his fingers before lowering his arms that were wrapped around his head. 

 “Were you…?” He starts.

 “N-no! No! And even if I was, which I _wasn’t_ , it would have been completely fair!” You cross your arms.

 “How?” 

 “Well you got to see me _ass naked_.” You huff. 

 “It wasn’t my intention!”

 “What are you doing here?” You ask. Keith sputters slightly. 

 “What -- _You’re_ the one who said that he would meet me tonight!” He mimics you and crosses his arms. And, sadly, he’s got a point. Those were the words you said to him when you saw him out on the fountain. 

 “Okay yeah, but I wasn’t expecting you to just.” You waive your hands around. “Poof! Be here.”

 “Why not? I’ve been trying to see you this whole time.” His voice cracks a bit from frustration.

 “You have?”

 “I wasn’t avoiding you on purpose!” He throws his arms out.

 “I thought…” You mumble. 

 “Let’s just take a second here okay?” He takes a deep breath and you find yourself following his lead. He grabs his usual chair and hauls it over to the sitting area of your suite, straddling it backwards. You plop down on the couch next to him. He rests his arm on the back of the chair, leaning his cheek into his palm as he looks over at you. 

 “What?” You ask.

 “When I was casting the barrier spell, what were you thinking of?” He replies with.

 “Romelle, like you told me to!” 

 “Is that _all_ you thought about?”

 “Wh-- Yes it is!” You pout.

 “Because if you didn’t that means I did something wrong when I casted it. Are you one hundred percent sure you didn’t think of anything else besides Romelle.” He squints at you.

 “I…” You chew your cheek. “Well, okay, _maybe_ I was briefly distracted by you and how cool it was for you to be doing the spell. But that’s it! Honest!” Keith groans loudly as he taps his forehead against the chair, careful of his horns. 

 “No wonder I couldn’t do anything!” He hisses. 

 “What are you talking about?”

 “Prince Lance, I told you to focus on _someone_ to be the _target_ of the spell.” He looks up at you.

 “So?”

 “You put a barrier on _me_!” 

 “I didn’t even think about you that long!” You throw your arms up. 

 “It doesn’t matter how long it was, you still added me as a target.” 

 “Well, at least we know that it works?” You chuckle nervously, shrugging.

 “Give me the sunstone.” He sighs.

 “Why?” You pout, getting up regardless.

 “I need to remove the spell and then cleanse the stone.” He holds his palm out, not moving from where he’s sitting. 

 “But the spell works? I mean, yeah it works a little _too_ well if it’s keeping you away but still.” You scoop the sunstone out from your nightstand and bring it over to him. 

 “I need to remove the spell so that we can place it on the right target. Otherwise it just gets muddled and messy.” He looks over to you as you place it in his hand.

 “But I’ll get it back?” 

 “Afterwards, yeah. Then we’ll recast it.” He looks the gem over in his hand.

 “What would happen if you were to put it on?” You ask him.

 “What do you mean?”

 “I mean, if it’s got a barrier between you and me, what would it do to you if _you_ were the one wearing it?” You sit down on the couch once more, leaning over the arm of it. 

 “Probably make me disassociate hard.” He shrugs a shoulder. “And no, I’m not putting it on to find out.” He says before you can even ask him. 

 “No fun.” You stick your tongue out at him. 

 “I have enough problems already, let’s not add more?” He gives you a soft glare. 

 “I guess.” You sigh, stretching your legs out along the couch. “I’ve missed two whole classes with you now.” You look up at him. 

 “Yeah you have. This Honerva woman, when is she going to be here?”

 “Four days from now.” You tell him.

 “Okay, that’s fine, we can stack lessons to get you caught up by then.” He scratches at his jaw. 

 “Um actually. There might be a problem with that.” You wince.

 “What do you mean? Don’t tell me you actually scored a second date with that girl.” Keith rolls his eyes.

 “It _wasn’t_ a date to begin with!” You hiss.

 “What’s the problem then?”

 “First of all, let me start this off by saying this isn’t my fault.” You sit up a bit more properly. 

 “I’m already having a hard time believing that.” 

 “Keith!”

 “Go ahead, don’t let me stop you.”

 “I could do without the sass, thank you.” You cross your arms. 

 “Oh no, my _deepest_ apologies your highness.” He rolls his eyes. You choose to ignore the biting sarcasm. 

 “Look, Hunk and Pidge found your little riddle. Which, by the way, why would your write a riddle and not just an outright note?” You rub your forehead. 

 “Because the point of the barrier spell was to keep the target from thinking about you, or be unable to find the drive or motivation to see you. The spell was making me want to shove you far away from me. Hells below, if I didn’t know what it felt like to have a spell on me I wouldn’t have noticed.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “The riddle was the best I could do. I had to focus the entire time on giving it to someone else in order to get it out in the first place.” He huffs. 

 “I mean it worked, obviously, but that’s where there’s a problem.” 

 “How?”

 “Because Hunk and Pidge found it.”

 “Who are they anyway?” He asks. 

 “Hunk is the big one, Pidge the small one.”

 “Ah.” He nods. “So why is it a big deal they found it?”

 “Well firstly, they thought it was a love letter from you to me.” 

 “It wasn’t.”

 “I know that!” You roll your eyes. “They decoded it and thought it was for a meet up place.”

 “But --”

 “I know. I know it wasn’t for that either, but I couldn’t just _say_ that!” You shift and lean back against the couch.

 “Okay, so they thought it was for some meet and greet. I’m still not getting the problem.”

 “The problem is that you’re really lucky! Or unlucky depending on your viewpoint.”

 “Why?”

 “Because they found a place that goes along with your descriptions.”

 “...What?” He gives you a blank look.

 “In the garrison there’s apparently this hall that has these old pieces of armor in it. One had a shield with a sun on it, the other was holding a lance.”

 “You’re kidding me.” He groans.

 “They want to meet you man. You have no idea how badly they want to meet you.”

 “Oh great they’re fans of me too.”

 “Fans of you too?” You raise an eyebrow. 

 “Those two aren’t the first to try and hunt me. Granted they _are_ the first to do so without weapons or the intent to kill.”

 “They wouldn’t hurt you Keith.”

 “Do you trust them?” He asks.

 “I do. I’ve seen the people they are. And they’re good people.” 

 “Then… I’ll trust your judgement.” 

 “And I’m not saying you _have_ to see them. Just sorta, I dunno, leave a note or something there that leads them elsewhere.”

 “What does any of this have to do with your lessons anyway?”

 “They’re smart Keith! They know you’re nocturnal, so they want to stay the night. Meaning I can’t do Friday’s lesson either.” You whine.

 “Then we just cram a bit more.” He grunts. “Though, we’ll have to be careful about what it is we’re cramming. I don’t want to lead you to overexert yourself. Especially since you really strained yourself with the first spell.” He seems to be thinking out loud, looking over at the small mirror you have hanging up. You wonder if you should mention the dark staining that had been all over the one in your bathroom to him. You go to, but your words die on your tongue when he looks over at you.

 “What?” You ask after he stares for a few moments too long to be casual.

 “Where are you pulling your strength from?” He asks.

 “My what?”

 “When we cast the spell, where were you pulling the energy from?”

 “Um…” You chew your cheek.

 “When you play with your Quintessence, where is it being drawn from?” He tries again.

 “Oh, well, here-ish I guess?” You gesture to the space just below your breastbone. Keith sits up straighter, confused. 

 “Your solar plexus? _That’s_ where your pulling it from?”

 “Uh, I guess so?”

 “But… Your Quintessence is Blue.” He runs a hand through his hair.

 “So?”

 “So you should be pulling it from your throat.” He leans forward and taps the hollow of your throat and then lightly drags his claw up and over your adam’s apple and stopping at your jaw. It’s a sensation that has you inhale sharply and stiffen under his touch. 

 “I should be?” You ask him a bit breathlessly.

 “Yes. You should be. How do you not know that?”

 “Why would I know that?” You are hyper aware of where his claws rest on your neck. Is that your heart thudding loudly in your ears?

 “You’ve been awakened haven’t you? They tell you this when you’ve been awakened.” Keith’s concerned look is slowly getting more intense.

 “I don’t know what that means.” You shake your head as he finally pulls his hand away and your mind begins to work again. 

 “You -- Oh my -- Are you not awakened?!” He gets up quickly, looking a bit… scared?

 “I don’t know what that means Keith, I can’t tell you.”

 “No wonder you were so exhausted.”

 “You said that it was normal!”

 “Well some exhaustion sure, but for it to have carried to the next day?” He begins to pace around nervously, wings fluttering slightly. It has you think of a caged animal.

 “Tell me, what does it mean to be awakened?”

 “Everyone has potential for magick. Some can start off more sensitive than others, especially in different fields of it as well. The more sensitive, the stronger your potential is for things beyond just seeing fae or hearing ghosts.” Keith continues to pace around.

 “And I’m _very_ sensitive.”

 “Yes, which is why you can see Quintessence itself. But to be able to manipulate it the way you do? Normally it’s something you’d have to be awakened to accomplish.”

 “So what _is_ an awakening?”

 “It’s an event, a process, it unlocks you to your fullest potential. Once unlocked you can grow and nurture your abilities, giving it strength and variances. From being able to see to being able to interact. Any spells you cast becoming much more potent, potions more successful, magick easier and less taxing on the body.” Keith finally stops pacing and stands in front of you. “So for you to be able to do what you can without being awakened? It’s unheard of.”

 “So then I’m very strong. Big deal.” You shrug.

 “No, it’s not that. It means you’re putting too much stress on your body. It means that continuing like this will damage your ability to do anything with magick, complete loss of control over it, or worse _kill_ you.” 

 “...Okay, yeah, that’s _really_ not good.” You agree. 

 “And I’ve been pushing you…” Keith can’t seem to look at you now.

 “Keith?”

 “I never wanted to be like Haggar.” He balls his hands into tight fists. You’re up on your feet and reaching out for him. 

 “You never told me what a Haggar was.” You take his wrists in your hands. 

 “It’s not what, but who. Haggar had been _my_ teacher. She’s the one who taught me about Quintessence, about magick. She often pushed us past our limits and would leave us nearly dead tired on our feet. It was draining beyond belief with very little periods of rest.” Keith clenches his jaw. “Looking back at it, it’s like she wanted to… to break us.”

 “Why?” 

 “I could think of a few things but I don’t know.” He finally looks up at you. “I’m so sorry I’ve been pushing you. It never occurred to me to ask if you’d been awakened or not.”

 “Hey man, it’s okay. Tell me more about this awakening business, make it my lesson for today. Heck, maybe we can do that tonight too.” You chuckle. He nods slowly, pulling away from you. 

 “I don’t know about awakening you, it’d honestly depend on your heart’s element.”

 “Keith, I love you and support you, but you have to start at the beginning.” You whine as he goes to his chair. He stiffens before looking at you. 

 “You’re… You’re joking right?” His voice is as tense as he is, which does have you curious. 

 “Dude, I just told you I have no basis for any of this, you _have_ to start at the beginning.”

 “So you don’t…?” He squints at you as he trails off. 

 “Don’t what?”

 “Never mind.” He shakes his head quickly.

 “Okay,” You draw out. “Then tell me, what’s my heart element?” You ask.

 “Well your heart’s element aligns with your stars, your birth sign. Your soul’s element is based on your Quintessence. They can be the same or _very_ different.” He starts with, sitting in his chair. You move one of the smaller chairs around so you can face him while you sit. 

 “Can you give me an example?” You ask him, getting comfortable in your place.

 “For example, my Quintessence is red. It’s based on fire and must be drawn from the root of my body.”

 “The root?” You tilt your head.

 “The root.” He repeats as if it would suddenly click in your head. 

 “Is this the root?” You ask, pointing to your heart.

 “Not even close.” He smirks. “Lower.” You huff and point to your stomach.

 “Here?”

 “Lower.” He says. You frown slightly, dragging your hand lower and pointing to your bladder.

 “Here?” 

 “Lower.” He shakes his head. _There’s no way._ You point to your lap.

 “Is…?”

 “Yep. That’s the root.” He snorts.

 “So when you’re doing magick, you just get a raging clue about what to do?” You joke. 

 “It gets so _hard_.”

 “Okay, but like, real talk. Does it legit turn you on?” You lean forward, curious.

 “In the beginning it’d trigger a boner in the middle of lessons. It’s very awkward. And it sucks. Be thankful yours is in the throat.” 

 “Does it still turn you on?”

 “No. Not if it’s not my intent. Why, are you looking for tips?” He snickers.

 “No!” Your face turns red.

 “Anyway, my soul’s element is fire based. However my birth sign is Scorpio. Scorpio is water based. Complete opposites.”

 “So what does that mean?”

 “It means it’s a bitch and a half to learn new things.” He huffs. 

 “And you’re awakening… It would have been based on water?” You ask, trying to make sure you’re following along properly.

 “Exactly.” He smiles. 

 “So did you get dunked in some blessed water and it was a day?”

 “No. Not quite. See, your awakening has to have an intense feeling to it. Otherwise I would have been awakened by simply bathing.” 

 “Then what happened?” You ask. He frowns. 

 “Haggar took us out of this castle, a good,” He hums thinking. “Thirty or so miles from here to the east. There’s a lake out there.” He points eastward. 

 “She took you swimming? Can you swim?” 

 “No I can’t. Never learned how to.”

 “I guess you sink like a rock then huh?” 

 “I’m gonna kick your ass.” He says with no real venom.

 “But seriously, what happened?” You whine.

 “It was the dead of winter, so the lake was frozen over. Haggar marched us out to the center, cut a large hole into the ice and pushed me in.”

 “She what!?” You screech.

 “She pushed me in. And when I tried to come back up, she held me under.” Keith shrugs. 

 “She tried to _drown_ you?” 

 “Pretty much yeah. She’d fish me out, see if I had awakened yet and if not push me back under.”

 “Son of Mary.” You whisper softly. He looks down at his hands, a small flame resting in his palms as he flexes his fingers. 

 “It was _definitely_ an intense feeling. I thought I would die. I haven’t… forgotten how it felt.” His hands tremble.

 “Keith…” 

 “When she pulled me out and I burst into flames she knew that I was awakened. And pissed.” He dismisses the flames in his hands. 

 “Are you going to drown me?” You ask him.

 “No. If you’re to be awakened by water, I’ll find something else.” He tells you.

 “How… How would I have to be awakened?” 

 “Well, what’s your birth sign?”

 “My zodiac right?”

 “Is that what they call it now?” He asks, amused. 

 “I’m a Leo.” You tell him. 

 “Seriously?” He gives you a flat look.

 “Yeah!” You nod. He laughs. It’s a wonderful sound, but it’d be better if you understood the joke. 

 “You’re fucked.” He tells you as he tries to wave his laughter away.

 “Why?”

 “Because you’re like me. Two warring elements within you.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Blue Quintessence is water based. Leo is fire based.” 

 “Oh. Oh Gods above.” You realize where this is going now. 

 “Lance, you’re my mirror.” He bursts into laughter again. Your heart stutters when you realize he dropped your title, but you don’t mind it in the slightest. 

 “I’m your mirror.” You murmur in agreement. You are blue with fire and he is red with water. He finally gets his laughter controlled, wiping at his eyes and grinning like a fool.

 “Oh, that was nice. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages.” He sighs. 

 “So then to awaken me, I have to do something with fire?” 

 “Mhmm. Something fire like that causes an intense feeling can force out an awakening.” He schools his expression back into something more neutral and you find yourself missing his smile immediately. 

 “I can’t recall ever being exposed to a fire or anything like that as a kid.” You hum as you tilt your head back and frown at the dark ceiling. 

 “Then it’s possible you haven’t had your awakening yet.” Keith shrugs. You close your eyes and think back to when you were younger. Your back flares up with a phantom ache. _Is it possible?_

“Well actually, there was this incident that happened when I was little. I know that afterwards my sensitivity got stronger.” You bring your arms around yourself.

 “It got stronger?” He tilts his head. You take a deep breath and stand up. 

 “There was this attempt on my father’s life. I had pushed him out of the way and it hit me instead.” You reach back and grab your shirt, tugging it over your head and turning around to show Keith your back. You hear him hum softly and then his hand is touching your back. 

 “What happened?” He asks, fingertips gliding over your scar.

 “I don’t know. One moment I’m pushing him out of the way, the next something shatters on my back. It was a liquid, I remember it running down my back and dripping off my clothes. And then it was like lava. Hot. And it hurt _so_ bad.” Your hands shake a bit as they hold your shirt up. “I thought literal Hells were being opened from my back and that I was going to die. People were seized and Veronica tore my shirt off my own body.” You chuckle wetly, eyes stinging. 

 “Lance…” He rests his palm in the space between your shoulder blades.

 “I know there was blood and lots of it. I know it was bad. But I can only remember how much it hurt. Then Veronica was… healing me while everyone was freaking out. So,” You look over your shoulder at him. “I thought it was exposure to her Quintessence that made me _extra_ sensitive.”

 “It looks like a burn.” Keith pulls his hand away from your back. You pull your shirt down over yourself once more.

 “I can’t think of a better way to describe how it felt.” You turn to face him once more. Keith stares up at you, a strange look to his eyes. It’s not pity, not quite sympathy either. 

 “It’s… very possible that it was that event that awakened you. You said yourself, your sensitivity got _stronger_ after all.”

 “But it wasn’t fire?”

 “Maybe not in the conventional sense, no. But a liquid fire? It’s almost fitting.” 

 “Are near-death experiences just a universal constant to awakenings then?” You sit back down on your chair. 

 “Not necessarily. They just have to be an intense feeling. Near death experiences are the easiest to do to force one out. For example, let’s say you’re an orphaned child who must be awoken by fire. In this scenario, you’ve never once celebrated your birthday as there’s no one to spend it with.” He tells you. “A more natural awakening could occur when you are adopted by a loving family, one so pure and kind to you it heals your old wounds. Then they surprise you with a birthday party, bringing out a cake with a single candle lit for you to blow out.”

 “Okay.” You nod, trying to see where this is going. 

 “That one lone candle is enough to spark an awakening. You’re feeling overjoyed with having people to spend your birthday with for once. You’re surrounded by love from a family you thought you’d never get to have. You’re at peace with yourself and the world for being able to have this moment. You blow the candle out and then everything in the world clicks into place.”

 “Almost sounds like you’re speaking from experience.” You tell him. 

 “Natural awakenings can just… be gentle like that.” Keith shrugs. “Near death experiences can also be natural ones, but it’s also the easiest way to force one out if you need to quickly be awakened.”

 “So yours would have been forced?” You ask curiously.

 “Definitely. I was being held under freezing water. As bad as it sounds though, yours could be considered natural.”

 “How?”

 “It was not intentionally done to you.” Keith says. You puff your cheek out.

 “I mean I guess.” You cross your arms. 

 “Even at that, your near death experience has to be related to your element. Otherwise it won’t do anything other than leave you with trauma.” 

 “Tell me about it. I’m _still_ wary of stepping foot into _that_ room back home. It always feels like something is watching me.” You frown. 

 “I know what that’s like. I had difficulty walking around the lower levels of the castle without the fear that I would get grabbed and hauled off again.” Keith’s eyes glaze over. 

 “Again?” You tilt your head, wondering who could drag him away when he towers over everyone else. 

 “When I was younger, before I was awakened, there was this guard who was rather new to the castle. He had been assigned to me and followed me like a second shadow. It turns out, he wasn’t doing his job _perfectly_ because he was dedicated to his work. He was doing it to lower everyone’s defenses.” Keith shifts his right wing up off his shoulder and lets it fold on his back, exposing the thick scar he has there. You look it over once more, it looks like it had been a serious injury that’s for sure. But another thought also wiggles up to your mind. _What was Keith doing with a guard? Why would the stone guardian of the castle_ need _a guardian?_

 “He grabbed me in the hallways and tried to drag me off to that creepy, fucked up, chapel. When I tried to escape from him, he ripped his sword through my shoulder. It went through the bone, it hurt like a bitch and there was so much blood everywhere.” His hand touches the scar gently, fingertips sliding down its path. 

 “That’s… awful.” You have no idea what else to say.

 “He got me all the way to the door of the place before someone saw the trail of blood and stopped him. Literally ran a sword through him right next to my face. Then I fainted and woke up to Haggar leaning over me trying to heal me back in the castle.” He slowly wraps his wing back around his shoulder, covering the scar once more. 

 “Do you know why he was taking you to the chapel?” You ask.

 “Considering what happened in there, I have a theory or two.”

 “Wait… Are we talking about the same chapel? The one over by the fountain I saw you this afternoon at?” 

 “It’s the only chapel we’ve ever had.” He tells you. 

 “What… what happened in there?” You have a morbid curiosity about it.

 “Dark things. Blood magick, sacrifices, maybe even deals were made. I was forbidden from stepping foot in there.” 

 “Then how do you know that’s what happened?” _Who had forbidden him from going in and why?_

 “I was a curious kid, like most are, and hid in the bushes when services would happen. I’d see them drag people dressed in these thin white clothes, hear them beg and cry all the way to the door. And then once inside they’d scream and scream until it suddenly stopped. After services they’d haul corpses out to a pile behind the chapel.”

 “Wait people are buried there?”

 “The whole back area of the chapel is a mass, unmarked, grave site.” Keith says. “It’s why there’s so much that echoes through it.” 

 “I think I felt some. When Pidge and I were there I got really close to this altar and… it felt like I was getting carved up.” You look down at your bare arms just to confirm to yourself once more that you were not _physically_ harmed. 

 “There are only a small handful of places that intense here in Stoneheart itself. It’s best to stay away from them if you can. Especially with how sensitive you are.” Keith frowns.

 “Where are they?”

 “Mostly in the other wing of the castle. The king’s quarters for example under the right conditions are pretty bad. As well as the old stables, the hallway from the dining hall to the king’s quarters and so on.”

 “Makes it sound like the previous king was a dick.” You cross your arms.

 “Some have been sure, but these echoes come from when Queen Krolia and King Au--” Keith gets cut off by a soft knock on your bedroom door. He gives it a soft glare, ear twitching as he hears something you probably can’t. You stand up and ignore how his soft pout makes your heart tighten.

 “It’ll just take a second, okay?” You whisper to him as you go over to your bedroom door and peek your head out. Romelle is standing there, playing with her skirt.

 “Prince Lance, weren’t you going to be joining us for dinner?” She asks you softly. You had completely forgotten about the time. 

 “Uh…” You glance back at Keith and then open the door a tad wider for you to slip out. “I don’t know if now’s a good time for me.” You mumble to her. She glances behind you at the door and her face falls a bit.

 “I didn’t realize you had company.” Romelle looks down.

 “I… I don’t have company! I just have been studying for Thace’s lessons tomorrow. I want to make sure I’m prepared after all.” You chuckle. She glances back up at you, heartbreak written all over her face. And well, okay, it’s really rude to Keith to just leave him _again_. But you can’t stand it when you see anyone upset, especially not someone as sweet as Romelle. 

 “Hey, how about this, I’ll put an actual shirt on and then you and I can sneak off somewhere else and have dinner together. Just the two of us.” You offer. She brightens back up immediately.

 “Are you sure? What if we get caught?”

 “Someone has to be looking for us in order to be caught. Just tell them I’m staying in my room and you’re not feeling too well either. Then you and I can sneak off to... “ You hum and tap your chin. “The messenger tower?” You suggest. 

 “Alright. I’ll meet you there or here?” 

 “There.” You tell her. She smiles and nods. 

 “I’ll be quick!” 

 “Please don’t hurt yourself though.” You chuckle. She laughs as she jogs down the hallway. You’re glad to have eased her mind for now. _Romelle must really miss Hunk_ , you frown softly. The poor fools. You open your door and slip back inside.

 “Keith I -- “ You realize a moment too late your room is empty. Keith is no longer at his chair, nor anywhere else in your room. You even close your eyes and try to find him based on his Quintessence, but all you get is a faint, lingering trail that leads to your balcony. 

        Your frown deepens as you step out, following the trail, only to not see him and lose the trail over the railing. You pout as you look out at the gardens below and pray softly that he’s not _too_ mad at you. You head back into your room and pull a thicker shirt on before heading out to the messenger tower. 

        When you push open the door to the tower you see Keith standing in the middle of it, back to you and looking at the ceiling. You go over to him quickly.

 “Keith what are you doing here?” You grab him by his arm

 “Afraid I’ll ruin your date?” He huffs, yanking his arm out of your grasp. 

 “It’s _not_ a date.” You groan.

 “Spare me the details.” He rolls his eyes, and stalks over to the half walls that line the tower. 

 “Keith, I’m a _Prince_ . There are things that are expected of me to do. And one of those things is _not_ staying locked in my room all day and night. Not only that but, Romelle really needs a friend right now.”

 “Oh, of course she does. Have fun playing make-believe then _Prince._ ” He turns to you, eyes cold as he steps up on the half wall.

 “Keith seriously!”

 “I’ll see you Saturday.” He reaches out to the side and you hear the crunch of his claws digging into the wall.

 “Keith!” You step toward him, but he steps off the edge and starts to haul himself up the wall. You run over to the railing and lean over to watch him make his way to the tower’s roof, claws continuing to click against the tiles. You heave a deep sigh and run your hand through your hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two whole chapters? Double Update? Whaaaaaat?
> 
> Yeah no, this is my way of apologizing for the big delay in getting the chapters out. Turns out when you buy a house there's a lot that goes on that forces things like hobbies waaaaaay off to the side.
> 
> Regardless, enjoy the double update lovelies <3


	15. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning:
> 
> Some slight innuendo / Sexual conduct

        You’re scribbling down the last of your notes before Thace can erase them off the board. The dinner you had with Romelle the night before was fun and relaxing. It reminded you of the times back in Altea. However, it was cut short so that she could return to her quarters to be at Allura’s disposal. You were unable to find Keith afterwards, and his bedroom lights remained off. 

        You groan softly as Thace erases the board, taking out the last bit you needed. Hunk nudges his paper closer to you and you give him a thankful look. Gods bless this man with everything he needs in this life. You copy the last bit you needed from Hunk’s notes and slide it back to him. A quick glance up shows you that Thace is currently putting the materials he used away.

 “The hunt is on.” Pidge leans closer to you to whisper. 

 “Yeah, yeah, our folks said we could stay the night.” Hunk whispers too.

 “Granted mine’s main request was that I have a separate sleeping space from you and Hunk.” Pidge rolls their eyes. “Because clearly we can’t control our bodily urges.” They cross their arms. You snort softly and pack up your stuff as the two of them do. 

        You have no idea what their game plan is really. You didn’t have a chance to ask before Thace had walked in. Best case scenario would be going to meet with this Antok guy, finding nothing, and then hang out around the grounds or your room for the rest of the day. Then you’ll have dinner, sit in your room and stay up far too late, and pass out halfway through discovering the secrets to the universe. Or, that’s how you _imagine_ sleepovers to be like. 

 “And where is it that you three are scampering off to right now?” Thace calls from his desk as the three of you try to slip out.

 “Uh…” Hunk starts.

 “Well we saw you were packing up, so we thought the lesson was over?” Pidge adds on hastily. 

 “Not only that, but we always end up staying after you leave here. It must worry you a bit.” You cross your arms behind your back, glancing up at the hatch and then back to Thace. 

 “I trust in you to make the right decisions while in here without my supervision. Should I have a reason to be worried?” Thace leans back on his desk, crossing his arms. 

 “What? No way. Besides, if we’re leaving _now_ , that should give you a bit more time with Ulaz right?” You offer. 

 “Prince Lance is right, don’t you want to spend more time with your husband?” Hunk nods. 

 “I would spend the same amount of time with him, in all honesty. Even if I were to leave now, he is currently by King Shiro’s side. The two of them are reviewing some legislature with Coran and Princess Allura.” Thace shrugs. “I probably will not be able to see him until dinner has passed.”

 “Oh... “ Hunk frowns. 

 “I appreciate the sentiment though.” He smiles at you three. “Go on then, be young and merry. Before you know it your life changes in front of your eyes.” He waves you off as he pushes himself off his desk.

 “Have a good day Professor!” You call out as you follow Hunk and Pidge out to the hallway.

 “So, we have good news.” Pidge claps their hands together once you’ve walked a bit further from the study. 

 “Oh really?”

 “Yeah, um, we got permission from both sets of our parents to stay the _whole_ weekend. Granted that’s uh, only if you’re okay with it.” Hunk rubs the back of his neck.

 “Totally man!” You say and then internally curse yourself. While having your new friends over for the whole weekend sounds _really_ fun, it’s _definitely_ going to kill any of your study sessions with Keith. You hope he doesn’t mind it too much. 

 “Told you he’d be okay with it.” Pidge crosses their arms as they smirk up at Hunk. 

 “Still! We really should have asked him _first._ ” Hunk whines. 

 “It’s not like we would have known how long it would’ve taken to meet the Beast in the first place. We have to maximize our hours the best we can.”

 “So, what’s the current game plan for this hunt?” You ask them, crossing your arms behind your head as you casually check for prying eyes. 

 “First and foremost, we need to go to the garrison. I just have this really strong feeling about those knights.” Hunk suggests. 

 “The only problem is there’s no date and time remember?” Pidge sighs. 

 “Relax, I left a note there last night for him like you asked me to.” You tell them. It’s not _technically_ a lie, you just _told_ Keith rather than left a note for him. 

 “Lance you beautiful devil, I could kiss you.” Pidge looks up at you.

 “Please don’t.” You chuckle.

 “I don’t want to anyway.” They snort. 

 “What did you tell him in your note?” Hunk asks you.

 “I just told him that I wanted to meet up with him too and that I’d be back there tomorrow.” You shrug.

 “Then what are we waiting for! Let’s get going!” Pidge grabs you and Hunk by the arm and starts to haul you two outside.

        You both let Hunk take the lead once outside of the castle, following him across the courtyard to where the garrison is kept. It’s nestled comfortably in the eastern portion of the castle grounds tucked closely to the outer wall protecting the eastern portion of the castle itself. You can see squires running around the training section while older knights are giving them various drills. 

 “Oh! That’s Captain Antok!” Hunk points the man out. 

        You look over and see the man, dressed in his black arming clothes, silver gauntlets and vambraces currently tied to him. He also has a long sash tied around his waist, one end nearly touching the ground. You’re not sure of its purpose, perhaps it’s simply a cultural thing. He has his helmet tucked under his arm as he oversees squires trying to arm themselves for the first time. A few look like they’re about to fall over from the weight of their armor already.

 “Captain!” Hunk waves as he calls out. You realize that Antok is taller than Hunk by a few inches, and certainly much broader. He could crush you without even trying and you are thankful that he is on your side. 

        Antok looks over at you three as you approach. He regards you all silently, before bowing deeply to you, fist over his heart. It’s a gesture that catches the attention of everyone in the nearby area. Squires are quick to repeat his gesture, some _actually_ falling down in the process. After them, knights are giving you a polite bow as well. 

 “Wow.” Pidge says softly looking around at the people bowing. 

 “Uh, thank you! At ease!” You call out and watch as everyone rightens themselves once more. You were not expecting it from Shiro’s guard at all to say the least. 

 “Prince Lance, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Antok asks you in a voice that also throws you off. You expect him to have a loud and commanding voice, but it’s softer than that. 

 “Yesterday my cousin’s handmaid, Romelle, and Hunk were looking for something for me.” You tell him as you approach him. 

 “I recall. It was a riddle I believe.” Antok nods. Now that you’re closer you see the faint, long, scars he has cutting across his face and down his jaw, dipping underneath the collar of his arming clothes. 

 “It sure was. They were telling me that you had guided them to a place you thought would best fit it. Do you mind if we go and check there again?” You ask. 

        Antok looks at you, his eyes flicking over to Pidge and Hunk before settling on you once more. He hums softly, and turns to a knight who’s running a drill for the squires. Antok grabs the lady by her arm and gestures to the squires still struggling to put on their armor. She nods and then moves her group closer to Antok’s. 

 “This way.” He tells you as he starts walking, leaving you to jog to catch up with him. 

        Antok moves faster than what you were expecting for a man of his stature, and it’s silent. You don’t even hear him disturb the blades of grass you three are trampling on. To say it’s a bit unsettling is an understatement. In fact, you’re five seconds away from trying your usual tricks to see if he’s a spirit when you collide into his very solid body. 

And by collide? You mean bounce. Bounce right off of him and back into Hunk who catches you. Antok gives you a curious look as Hunk gets you back on your feet.

 “We’re here.” He tells you by means of an explanation for his sudden stop. He pushes the door open and steps inside, holding it for you and your friends. 

 “Thank you sir!” Hunk say as he walks in with you. You think Pidge mumbles something similar. 

        Like how Hunk and Romelle had described, Antok has led you to a section of a hallway lined with various suits of armor. Some are as simple as leathers held together by prayers. Some are elegant, dark metals with bright pink accents, traditional Galran armor that you’d seen in books alone. There are some suits holding weapons or shields. Emblems and crests on them all showing the changing of the guard or of a new leader upon the throne. The history from this hallway alone is so much richer than you would’ve ever given to Stoneheart.

 “Wow.” You breathe softly as Pidge whistles. 

 “I know right? It’s amazing how well preserved some of these are!” Hunk goes over to one of the suits. 

 “We are proud of our heritage, as it gives us the foundation we need to learn and grow from the mistakes of our pasts.” Antok says, standing in front of a suit as well. A small frown tugs on his lip as he dusts off the breastplate with his sash. 

        The suit looks newer, maybe placed in here with a change of the guard you’d guess. You step over to him and look closer at it. It certainly has the same elements that the knights outside were wearing. Antok lets the sash slip out of his fingers, the end going back down to barely brush the ground. 

 “Did you know them?” You ask curiously, glancing up at him. 

 “I was his Lieutenant until the day the current King Shiro relieved him of his duties.” Antok says softly. 

 “Why was he let go?” 

 “He nearly died trying to protect the King’s father, may he find his way,” Antok bows his head respectively for Shiro’s father. “King Shiro felt it best to let the man recover without the pressure of returning to duty.”

 “I wonder what the guy does all day then.” 

 “He’s a blacksmith these days. He might not be fighting alongside us, but he’ll be damned if he can’t give us what we need to win.” Antok huffs a soft laugh. “It’s his way of reminding us all that he’s still here.”

 “Lance! Over here!” Hunk calls out, waving his arms. You look over to where he’s standing a bit further down the hall. You and Antok both stalk over to where Hunk and Pidge are. Hunk waves his arms to show off the statue's shield. 

 “Ta-dah!” He smiles. 

 “Wow you really weren’t kidding.” You say, looking at the sun painted carefully over the metal. 

 “And this one has the lance.” Pidge points to the one they’re in front of. 

 “What was it you were to find here?” Antok asks as he looks between the suits before, strangely enough, his eyes settle on the wall between the two. Curious you stare at the wall too. It looks ordinary, nothing unusual. 

        But Antok’s strong stare at it has you focusing on the wall too, your Quintessence reaching out to brush against it. If you squint, you can see a _very_ faint haze around one section of the wall. You can’t pin down the exact color but if you push a bit harder against it, your Quintessence slips right past the bricks and into what feels like an empty space. _There’s a lot of secret tunnels around Stoneheart_ , you recall Keith telling you. You smirk slightly as you reel your Quintessence back in. It brushes past Hunk and Pidge who are talking to -- you pause. 

        You slowly turn to face Antok, who’s standing _right next to you_. Antok who was very solid when you ran into him moments ago. But when you reach out for his Quintessence again, because there’s no way that’s was right, you feel nothing. You try again and again, stronger and stronger waves but each come back with the same lack of feeling. 

 _Living_ things have Quintessence. Why does Antok not have even the dying residual hint of some? Why is it that no matter how hard you push at where Antok is with your Quintessence, there’s nothing there? Your heart leaps up in your throat after you shove as hard as you can at him, causing Antok to look over at you. 

        It washes back with the same emptiness as before. He gives you the same blank look as you try and jab at him now, not even the slightest flinch. You shake your head and take a half step back. Something isn’t right about this. 

 “Lance?” Pidge’s voice cuts through the mild panic that was beginning to build up in you.

 “You... “ You shake your head, not looking away from Antok. There’s a flicker of confusion, followed by curiosity and recognition across his face. 

 “I am curious as to how this plays out in the end. Please, if you find anything let me know,” Antok tells you three. “But I should be heading back to the others. Young squires need more guidance than one would think.” 

 “Oh, okay.” Hunk says giving Pidge a confused look. Pidge shrugs. Antok grabs your arm gently, leaning down to whisper in your ear. 

 “There are things that exist beyond your body. Take heed, leave it be, and breathe not a word of the glimpse you’ve seen beyond the veil.” He lets you go and gives you another deep bow before walking out. Your heart hammers madly in your chest as you watch him leave. 

 “Lance, dude, are you okay?” Hunk asks.

 “What’d he say to you? Should we go kick his ass?” Pidge squares their shoulders. 

 “Yeah, you look like you saw a… well a ghost.” 

 “Drop it.” You hiss when you notice Antok has paused by the door. 

 “But --”

 “It was nothing. Just him warning us to not be here too long.” You watch Antok glance over his shoulder at you, nodding, and finally stepping out. You press your hand to your chest and take a deep breath.

 “That doesn’t seem like nothing.” Pidge says.

 “He knows we’re on the Beast hunt.” You change your lie. 

 “Ugh. It’s not going to stop us.” They roll their eyes. 

 “So do you think the Beast is going to show up here after night sets in or?” Hunk asks you two. 

 “We shouldn’t stay for long.” You don’t want to see Antok again, not for a long time if you can. 

 “Then we should leave him a note telling where to meet us tonight.” Pidge says, digging into their pockets and pulling a piece of paper out. 

 “Where do we leave it where Antok won’t find it?” You ask. 

 “Oh! Maybe behind the shield,” Hunk suggests stepping back to look at it. “Or maybe attached to the --” Hunk pauses. 

 “What?” Pidge looks over at him. He points to the lance. Pidge steps over and looks at the lance from the same angle. They gasp and you join them. Stuck to handguard on this side is a note.

 “Is that… what I think it is?” You look at them. Pidge carefully pries the note off the handguard and reads it over. 

 “It’s another fucking riddle!” They groan. 

 “Seriously?” You and Hunk lean over their shoulder to read it. Sure enough, it’s Keith’s handwriting. 

 

_I am the one who has offered you his home,_

_But not quite the one you know._

_Encased and held in a square of chrome,_

_My face from years ago._

 

 “Seriously, we need to kick the Beast’s ass for giving us riddles to find him.” Pidge sighs. 

 “Maybe he’s just playing with us then and doesn’t want to be found?” You shrug, trying to dissuade the hunt from continuing. But in all honesty, you’re caught up on the fact that Keith actually left something behind for these two. He had taken you up on your suggestion even though he had been upset with you.

 “No way, we’ll solve every little puzzle that he throws at us if we have to!” Pidge stomps their foot.

 “Well I don’t think this is leading to a meet up, but maybe to another clue?” Hunk rubs the back of his neck as he reads it over again. 

 “Wait, I think I know what this is.” Pidge says as they squint at the paper.

 “You do?” You look over at them. 

 “Okay so like, _‘Encased and held in a square of chrome, my face from years ago’_ I think it’s a painting, with like a silver frame you know?” Pidge looks up at you both. 

 “Okay yeah.” Hunk nods.

 “Plus _‘I am the one who has offered his home’_ that’s clearly King Shiro to me. He’s offered his castle, his home, to not just me and you,” Pidge gestures to Hunk and themself. “But also offered it to you and Princess Allura.” Pidge looks at you.

 “So a painting of Shiro’s?” You tilt your head.

 “ _‘But not quite the one you know’_ , maybe a young Shiro then? Or one where he doesn’t look like he does now.” Hunk agrees. 

 “We can start with the entrance hall, there’s tons of paintings of the prior families there. We’re bound to find one of baby Shiro’s.” You say. Pidge nods and tucks the paper away in their pocket. 

        You guide them out of the garrison and head back for the castle. You thankfully don’t have to deal with too many people trying to bow to you. However, you do catch sight of Antok, fully suited up with the exception of his helmet. He looks over at you and watches as you turn around a corner and lose sight of him. 

        It eases your heart only slightly once you’re inside and far away from him. You lead the way to the entrance hall which feels like an eternity away. Especially with every step you take. Hunk pauses halfway there and you turn around to give him a curious look. 

 “What’s up big guy?” You ask.

 “Shouldn’t we get Romelle? I mean, she really helped us out with the last clue.” He says. You open your mouth.

 “No.” Is Pidge’s sudden and sharp answer. You click your jaw shut and look over at them.

 “Why not?” Hunk asks, pouting. “She was _really_ helpful.”

 “Because girls have cooties.” 

 “Really Pidge?” You give them a flat look. They glare at you and it clicks. _Jealousy thy name is Pidge._

 “Seriously Pidge, why don’t you want Romelle to come with us?” Hunk asks. 

 “We’ve been working on this for years! We should end it with just us… and Lance.” They tack your name on at the end. 

 “It’s fine Hunk. Romelle is probably busy right now anyway with Allura.” You shrug nonchalantly. 

 “Yeah! We wouldn’t want to get her into trouble!” Pidge adds on. 

 “Yeah… I guess.” Hunk sighs and then smiles at you two. “Then let’s keep going.” 

 “Just the three of us.” Pidge agrees. 

 “Real musketeers we are.” You joke under your breath as you continue on your path to the main entrance. 

 “Isn’t there four musketeers?” Hunk asks as he follows you.

 “No, there’s three.” Pidge shakes their head. 

 “No, no, in the book, there’s a fourth one.” Hunk says.

 “They were three best friends, therefore, three.”

 “Four!”

 “Three!”

 “Four!”

 “Three!” Pidge stomps their foot. You shake your head as you continue to listen to them bicker back and forth between each other over the amount of musketeers there were. Personally you agree with Hunk but you have a feeling voicing that out loud could spark another argument.

 “Alright, alright!” You raise your voice over both of theirs as you stand in the entrance hall. You gesture to the paintings that line the walls. 

 “So we know it’s in a silver frame, which will help us narrow it down.” Hunk starts looking down one side. 

 “It has to have Shiro in it too.” Pidge says following Hunk. You look up once more at the painting with the burned corner. You shake your head and continue down the hall looking for a picture of Shiro. 

 “Oh! Here! Here!” Pidge calls out waving their arms to get you to come over. You step over and look at the painting Pidge has found. 

 “He’s so young.” You murmur. Shiro himself couldn’t have been much older than ten or eleven, much like the young prince in the burned painting you realize. 

 “He looks like a baby in this.” Hunk chuckles softly.

 “He does.” You agree. His hair is all black, he has one hand resting on the grip of a sword planted into the ground in front of him. His other hand rests on the pommel. You aren’t sure if it’s due to the artist or if it was genuine, but he has a crooked smile and his eyes are bright. 

 “It’s hard to imagine him like this…” Pidge mumbles. 

 “You should see Allura’s baby pictures. She looks so chubby as an infant.” You snicker. 

 “Is it just me or is the painting a little…” Hunk gestures to the frame.

 “A little?” You look over at him. 

 “Off-center?” He says. You look up at the painting as Pidge takes a few steps back. 

 “It is set crooked.” They say. “Not by much but still.” 

 “Can I just…” Hunk reaches up and shifts the painting a bit to get it leveled out. When he does something slips down to the floor. Hunk freezes. 

 “Please tell me that’s a note and that I didn’t just break this.” He whines. You stoop down and pick the paper up, flipping it over. 

 

_An apology is whispered through me,_

_Out hidden by the faeries._

_I think we can all agree,_

_I’m protected well by the Guardian of Aries._

 

 “It’s another riddle.” You tell him. Hunk heaves a sigh of relief and looks over the note with you. Pidge jogs over as well and you lower the paper so they can read it too. 

 “Pidge is an Aries, aren’t they?” You ask Hunk and Pidge. 

 “I am. Why?”

 “You don’t think he’s now hitting on Pidge do you?” Hunk rubs the back of his neck. 

 “What?” Pidge screeches as they look up at him.

 “Oh, I wasn’t thinking it was about Pidge. It’s their _Guardian_.” You wiggle your eyebrows at Hunk with a teasing smirk on your lips. 

 “I -- No! I disagree.” Hunk crosses his arms, beet red. 

 “Where are apologies whispered and what do fae have to do with it?” Pidge rolls their eyes as they look at you two. “It’s important we solve this in order.”

 “You just don’t like the fact that the Beast could be hitting on Hunk.” You shrug.

 “That’s _not_ what I said at all.” Pidge glares up at you.

 “He’s _not_ hitting on me.” Hunk whines. 

 “Now you both know how I felt when you kept trying to push me and Romelle together.” You tell them, sticking your tongue out and rereading the riddle. 

 “Can we just focus on the task at hand?” Pidge groans. 

 “I think… this might be out in the gardens.” You tap the paper.

 “Why the gardens?” Hunk asks. 

 “Most of the fae I’ve ever met were usually out in the gardens. They like the open space.” You look over at him. 

 “Makes sense.”

 “What about this apology part though?” Pidge asks. 

 “If it’s out in the gardens, it’s probably close to one of the flower bushes. The hyacinths if I had to guess.”

 “Why hyacinths?”

 “Purple ones are for an apology.” You say, remembering when you first found the small bundle by your balcony door. Of course Keith would be sappy and use that. 

 “Lead the way then Prince!” Hunk bows overdramatically. You laugh and guide them out to the gardens.

        It does take you a while to find the _right_ area of them though, and by this point the sun is already beginning to set. You three peek in and around the bushes for this Guardian, but you still aren’t sure what you should be looking for. You find yourself pausing in front of a lion statuette, sitting calmly as if waiting for something or maybe even judging you. Beneath it on the base is a plaque you can’t read. 

 “Hey Pidge, what’s this say?” You ask. Pidge and Hunk walk over to you.

 “Oh sweet, modern Galran.” They sigh with relief.

 “Did you have a run in with older Galran?” Hunk asks. 

 “Yeah it was all over the chapel.” You tell him. He hums and nods his head as he looks over the plaque as well.

 “It says, _‘Guardian of Leo, be not frightened but humbled. Do not attack, but give.’_ ” You give them a look and they sigh. “It rhymes better in Galran.” They tell you. 

 “Wait… If this is the Guardian of Leo.” Hunk starts out. 

 “Then the Guardian of Aries should also be a statuette.” You nod following his thought.

 “It should be a ram.” Pidge adds on. 

 “I saw a ram not too long ago! Over here!” Hunk says, quickly moving to another part of the gardens. You pass three other statuettes of what you’re now assuming associates back to the zodiac. Hunk pulls you both to a stop in front of a ram statuette.

 “ _‘Guardian of Aries, be not weak but brave. Fight with honor and grant mercy.’_ ” Pidge reads from the plaque. 

 “Another one of those things that rhyme better in Galran I take it?” You look at them. They nod in agreement. The three of you look the ram over carefully. 

        Three of its four hooves are firmly planted on the base, the fourth hoof raised and resting on a metal ball. It’s leaning forward, getting ready to charge ahead and attack. You see tucked into the curve of it’s horn another piece of paper. 

 “Hey Hunk, can you give me a boost?” You ask, pointing at the paper. He nods and steps over to you, lacing his fingers together and crouching. You place one foot in his hands and reach up to grab the ram by his horns. You give Hunk a nod and he pushes you up. You pluck it from its hiding space and toss it to Pidge. 

 “Oh this… This is kinda…” Pidge says as they read it. Hunk sets you back down on the ground.

 “It’s kinda what?” You ask going over to them after thanking Hunk.

 “Well remember how I was joking about the first  one being _steamy_? This is downright scandalous.” Pidge says. Hunk reads it over their shoulder and then looks up at you with wide eyes. 

 “Did you have sex with the Beast?” He asks. 

 “What!?” You snatch the paper from Pidge’s hands to look at it. 

 

_I am where lovers meet,_

_With a passion and a heat._

_I am where praises are given,_

_Screamed all the way to the highest Heaven._

_I am where two can become one,_

_Whether it’s for duty or for fun._

_And it’s where I took what you had offered to me,_

_This the claiming of your virginity._

 

        Your face is bright right as you read it over and over again. One thought rushes in clearly however. _You’re going to kill Keith._

 “I --” You can’t deny it without sounding like a liar. You also can’t tell them you had because it _would_ be a lie. _You’re going to absolutely murder Keith._

 “Well have you?” Pidge asks. 

 “I will not confirm nor deny this.” You settle for.

 “I can’t believe it. You’re a monster fucker.” Pidge whispers. 

 “Son of Mary.” You huff. 

 “Did it hurt? Like, he seems like he’d be a big dude. And well a _big_ dude.” Hunk asks. 

 “I’m not having this conversation. This isn’t really happening.” You whine as you hand them back the paper. 

 “No way, that’s yours.” Pidge holds their hands up. “I don’t want to be caught with that confession.”

 “Same here.” Hunk agrees. You huff and read the riddle over once more. Truthfully, you had gotten it on your first pass through, but you just keep hoping you’re wrong. 

 “I…” You start and then groan, because _Gods above why is this happening to you?_ “I think it’s my bed. In my bedroom.” You mumble.

 “Yeah, no kidding. I’d be more concerned if it wasn’t.” Pidge nods. You glare at the castle and hope that wherever Keith is at currently, he can feel your displeasure. 

 “Let’s head there before it gets too dark out here?” Hunk asks. With a heavy sigh you guide them back inside quickly, the sun having finished dipping below the horizon moments ago. 

        You walk briskly to your room. Hunk and Pidge are quietly whispering to themselves and it’s not hard to guess at what it’s about. 

 “Was it that bad?” Pidge asks you.

 “We’re not talking about this remember?”

 “It was that bad.” Hunk nods to Pidge.

 “Did he just fill you with baby batter and leave?” Pidge asks. 

 “Are you going to have baby beasts?” Hunk looks worried. 

 “I’m not biologically built to be spitting out babies.” You tell him. 

 “Oh good.” He rests his hand over his heart. 

 “I can’t believe the Beast just hit it and quit it.” Pidge grunts. 

 “I didn’t say that!” You hiss at them.

 “Did you at least cuddle afterwards?” Hunk asks. 

 “Yeah, how is his pillow talk?” Pidge looks over at you. You groan and push you bedroom door open, choosing to ignore their questions. It’s giving you some thoughts that you are quick to shove in a box labeled in big letters, ‘DO NOT TOUCH’. 

 “Lance you can’t ignore us forever!” Pidge stomps their feet. 

        You roll your eyes, thankful that Keith isn’t just in your room. You were half expecting him to be laying on your bed, or perhaps even draped over it, playful smirk on his face as he winks and drags his hand down his -- Gods below! This is Hunk and Pidge’s fault. You shove that thought into the box as well. 

        You approach your bed with hesitation, especially when you notice something _is on it._ Laid gently across your pillow is a single, red, rose swaddled by baby’s breath. It’s nothing but love written in the petals. Your face turns another shade of red. You scoop them up and carry them to your flower vase. 

        You gently place them in the vase, shades of white, blue and purple, and the single red rose happily fanning out. Under the vase you notice your nightstand drawer is cracked open. You wrap your fingers around it’s handle and pull it out. Hunk and Pidge come over to you and look into the drawer with you. You find your sunstone coiled on top of a piece of paper.

 “Is that a sunstone?” Pidge asks you. You nod, blankly as you slide the paper out from under it. 

 

_You may find me where I first saw you,_

_The day I got lost in your hue._

_Where I reached out my hand,_

_Knowing that you’d understand._

_As I brought you back inside that night,_

_‘Twas filled with many a delight._

_How I wish to feel you once more,_

_Please, oh please, open the door._

 

 “And on the first day too.” Hunk whispers under his breath to Pidge. You however set the note on your bed and head straight for your balcony door, ignoring them

 “Wait, Lance!” Pidge races after you. You throw your balcony door open and there, sitting on the railing, is Keith. Pidge and Hunk both gasp sharply. Keith smirks, cocky and confident, as you storm up to him. 

 “What do you think your playing at?” You hiss under your breath. He leans forward, wings spreading out to keep him balanced. 

 “You told me they thought it was a love letter, so I ran with it. Besides, it wasn’t _all_ bad, was it?” He asks, his hand reaching out and tilting your face up with just his finger. 

 “A warning would’ve been nice. Now they think we’ve… Y’know!” You say, your face is never going to be it’s natural color ever again with how hard your blushing now. Keith leans in close his breath ghosting over your lips and sending an electric current through your body.

 “Meet me at the messenger tower when you can.” He murmurs, lips nearly touching yours. It leaves you a bit dizzy. 

        Then he’s suddenly pulling away and you blink up at him from the loss. He looks over your shoulder to Hunk and Pidge before growling softly. He then backflips off your railing, wings pulling him out of his fall and up into the air. Hunk and Pidge rush over to your railing pointing and screeching, but all you can hear is your pulse in your ears. 

        Your fingers come up to brush against your lips and maybe, _maybe, maybe, maybe_ echoes in your head. You swallow and shake your head. Keith was pulling your leg as much as theirs. You tell yourself it means nothing, just two guys playing a prank on friends. And the softest blush he had? Well he was just as embarrassed as you were about the whole thing too!

        You’re not even aware that Hunk and Pidge have asked you five million questions until Pidge shakes your arm and Hunk waves his hand in front of your face. You jolt and look at the two of them.

 “What?” You ask. Pidge groans as they look up at Hunk. 

 “I can’t believe all this time we just needed some pretty boy to show up to catch the Beast.” They rub their forehead. “Some pretty boy who was willing to get down.”

 “Okay, first of all, I did not sleep with the Beast!” You cross your arms, unable to take it anymore. 

 “But… those riddles sure don’t back you up.” Hunk points out.

 “The riddles are nothing but poems Hunk! Words on a piece of paper!” You cover your face. 

 “So you’re denying that you’ve been intimate with him?” Pidge crosses their arms and squints up at you.

 “I don’t know him!” You lie. 

 “Well he sure wants to know you then.” Hunk rubs the back of his neck

 “Also, what did the Beast say to you?” Pidge asks.  

 “He wanted to meet with me, privately.” You head back into your room. 

 “What? No way. You cannot go alone.” Hunk follows you in.

 “Why not?” You ask him curiously.

 “He looks big enough to eat you for breakfast!” 

 “He’s not going to eat me!”

 “Maybe if you asked nicely he would.” Pidge says.

 “Pidge!” You and Hunk look at them.

 “Look, Hunk’s right, you shouldn’t go alone. Where does he even want to meet you? Wasn’t that the point of all these riddles?”

 “He wants to meet me at the messenger tower. It’s not that far and I’ll be fine.” You whine. Curiosity is nibbling at your brain. Why the tower? Is there something important he needs to tell you?

 “No. N. O. There’s no way you’re going alone.” Hunk crosses his arms. “Look, finding him together is great and all, but solo missions are _too_ dangerous. I’m not risking you getting hurt because we’re curious.” He says. 

 “Hunk, relax. I’ll be fine. I’ll go and be back before you even know it.” You offer. 

 “No Lance. What if --”

 “Yeah, actually. Let him go.” Pidge cuts him off. You both look down at them.

 “What?” Hunk asks. 

 “I trust Lance. If he says he’ll be fine on his own I have to take his word for it.” They say, resting their hand on Hunk’s arm. He looks conflicted and you watch some silent conversation be held by just their eyes alone. Hunk sighs.

 “Alright… Okay. We’ll be waiting for you then.” Hunk relents. You smile at him and Pidge. 

 “Thank you.” You say as you scurry off to the tower.

        The maids and house staff leap out of your way as you rush through the hallways. You’re getting a lot of curious looks but it’s not important right now. What’s important is getting to Keith. You shove open the door for the messenger tower and step in. Keith is standing in the center, back to you as he had last night. He turns to face you as you charge at him. He shifts slightly, ready to catch you should he need to.

 “You’re horrible, terrible, awful!” You say as you wrap your arms around him. 

 “How so?” He asks, straightening up when you’re no longer going to tackle him. 

 “Those riddles! Especially the last ones!” You glare up at him.

 “I thought it was what you wanted?”

 “I wanted you to do what _you_ wanted to do about it.” You say resting your head against his shoulder. 

 “And I wanted to do what _you_ wanted me to do.” He murmurs into your ear. His hands finally come to settle on your waist. You let him hold you like this for a few moments more before looking up at him. 

 “What was it you wanted to tell me about?” You ask him softly. He opens his mouth but you hear a thunk behind you. Then a rush of things happen at once. 

        Keith’s wings launch off his shoulders as he pulls you closer. He twists you both so that the can cover you. He growls low and deep in his throat. A chill runs down your spine from the sound. Then there’s a startled yelp. A scream. Keith pulls you with him as he steps back, towards an opening in the tower.

 “Wait, wait, wait!”

 “It’s us! Sorry! Don’t eat me!” Are two very familiar voices. You squirm a bit in Keith’s hold, hand coming up to push his wing out of your eyes. Hunk and Pidge are on the floor, Hunk having scrambled backwards into Pidge. 

 “Guys!” You gasp. Keith slowly relaxes his hold on you, growl still rumbling in his chest. His wings come back to rest on his shoulders as he drops his arms from your waist. You rest your hand on his chest as you step closer to Hunk and Pidge. They’re a bit shaken but look alright. 

 “You okay?” You ask them.

 “Is he gonna eat us?” Hunk won’t take his eyes off Keith. Keith responds with another growl.

 “Not helping,” You hiss at him. “He’s not going to eat you Hunk.”

 “So… You two know each other long?” Pidge peeks over Hunk’s shoulder. 

 “Oh yeah. Totally. My dad picked him to be my suitor like a hundred years ago.” You roll your eyes. 

 “Why didn’t you tell us you had a _thing_ with him?” They ask. 

 “There’s no _thing_ . We aren’t a _thing_.” You whine. Keith wraps his hand around your wrist and tugs you with him as he continues to step backwards towards an opening. 

 “You sure look like a _thing_.” Hunk agrees. “No offense Mister Beast.” Hunk raises a hand. Keith glares at both of them and then looks at you. 

 “We’re not --”

 “How bad do you want out of this conversation?” Keith leans in to whisper to you. You look up at him and then to your friends who are now coming out of shock. They’re trying to slowly approach you both and you know their questions are going to continue to be about your _relationship_. 

 “Do you trust me?” He asks. You look back at him. Do you trust him? Yes. There’s no doubt about it. He’s been a bit temperamental, a bit aggressive, but he’s also teased you and been kind to you. He’s a solid person. You nod. 

 “Hands around my neck.” He tells you. You bring your arms to wrap around his neck as his wings lift off his shoulders once more. 

 “Lance? What’s going on?” Hunk asks. You glance back at them.

 “Let’s just talk this out like calm, rational, people do.” Pidge waves their hands. Then Keith moves. He sweeps your legs out from under your feet and hefts you up into his arms. 

 “Lance!” Hunk shouts as he tries to rush forward, still clearly worried about all this. Pidge watches this with wide eyes. Keith gives both of them another deep growl when they go to step forward. He leans to your ear.

 “Hold on tight.” He tells you. You tighten your grip and then Keith turns. And he runs. And then he’s leaping out of the tower. 

        For a moment you’re worried that you might be strangling him with your sudden death grip. You can’t help the scream that rips out your body as the two of you fall. His wings snap out as he pulls you both up out of the fall. You can see Hunk and Pidge run over to the railing on the tower. You think they call out for you in a panic. 

        Keith loops you back around the tower, a slow and lazy circle around it before he begins to weave through the roof tops of the other parts of the castle. Your grip on him relaxes the longer the flight goes. You glance up at him and your heart stutters in your throat. He looks… handsome you realize.

        The moonlight catches on the curves of his cheek bones, the slight breeze pushing his hair back. He’s looking dead ahead, eyes flicking around every now and then. His grip on you is secure, one arm bracing against your back, the other holding your legs. He tilts you both to the side, another arc being made. You can see the messenger tower once again, but Hunk and Pidge are no longer there. You pray they aren’t looking for Shiro or Allura.

        You expect Keith to take you back there but instead he tilts you both away from the tower, banking left and dropping altitude. He’s heading closer to the castle walls and he continues his descent. You remember his issues with landing at this inopportune moment. 

 “Has your landing gotten better?” You ask him as the ground is rapidly coming closer. 

 “Not a bit.” He laughs. 

        You tighten your grip on him once more as you sweep over a pond by the northern castle wall. You can see your frightened face staring back at you in the water. As you approach the bank of the pond, Keith shifts. He’s pulling his body upright, curling you in closer to his chest as his wings backpedal to slow you two down. _This is it. This is where you die._  

        He lands heavily on his legs, sliding against the slick ground. He grunts from the impact and his wings beat rapidly to keep him from toppling you both over and into the mud. It doesn’t stop him from stumbling forward slightly. But soon enough he’s stopped moving, his wings hover opened for a few moments longer as he looks around. 

        He shifts once more, the arm holding your legs dropping and letting you touch the ground once more. However, your legs feel like jelly and nearly buckle under your own weight when he moves to let go of you. Keith catches you, his hand pressed against your chest, the other wrapped around your arm. Your heart is pounding and you wonder if he can feel it in his palm. 

 “You okay?” He asks. 

 “Yeah just…” You feel dizzy and out of breath. Keith chuckles.

 “Yeah, I know.” He steps closer to you once more, grabbing your other arm and pulling them both up and above your head. It’s easier to get a few deep breaths in this way, and you’re able to settle your wrecked nerves back down.

 “I felt like that too my first few times flying. It’s why I was shit at landing.” He says, slowly letting go of your arms. You manage to stay steady on your feet this time. 

 “I have to admit though, that’s one of the best landings I’ve ever done.” His wings finally shift down to wrap around his shoulders as they usually do. 

 “Well, I thank you for that.” You laugh as you let your arms fall down to your sides. 

 “Sorry if it scared you.” 

 “No, no. It was…” You chew on your cheek. He waits on your answer, leaning forward slightly. It’s kind of cute if you’re being honest.

 “It was?” He prompts you to continue.

 “Fun. I mean, terrifying at first but fun.” You laugh. He smiles softly walking over to a bench near the bank of the pond. 

 “I’m glad you enjoyed your first flight then.”

 “That implies that there will be more flights.” You tell him as you follow him. 

 “Well, they are quick escape routes.” He shrugs taking a seat on the edge of the bench and gesturing for you to sit with him. 

 “I suppose so.” You fold a leg onto the bench and sit. 

 “You’re friends weren’t too happy about it, though.” He laughs softly. 

 “I’m probably not going to hear the end of it. You saw their faces!” You can’t help but laugh as well. 

 “Next time they shouldn’t sneak up on people who want some privacy.” He shrugs. 

 “Speaking of, what was it you were wanting to meet up for?” You ask him, getting back to the original question you had before you two were interrupted. 

 “I know they were going to be here for the night, which meant we wouldn’t cover our lessons. I was thinking you’d slip out later when they’d fallen asleep and we could do something easy.” Keith picks at the crack on the bench. 

 “But you were waiting there for me already.” You point out.

 “I don’t know how long it takes regular people to fall asleep.” He shrugs. 

 “Well not instantaneously!” You chuckle. 

 “I guess not, no.” He ducks his face, a bit of color rising to his cheeks. 

 “Well, I’m here now.” You spread your arms out. “What did you want to do?”

 “What about your friends?” He raises an eyebrow. You sigh.

 “Turns out, they’ll be here all weekend.”

 “Ah.” He looks out at the pond. He seems to be upset about this.

        With nothing better to do yourself you look out at the pond too. You can hear the soft croaking of frogs on the lily pads that float in small clusters around the pond. They don’t sound quite like the ones you’re used to hearing back at the family’s holiday home. Every now and then there’s a soft splash from a fish in the waters and a soft breeze of cool air brushes by. You figure it’s due to the water. Small glowing yellow orbs flutter near the water as well, though some look like they might be considering approaching you and Keith. 

        You glance over at Keith who’s still staring out across the waters. His brow is pinched and furrowed down. The silence that continues to hang between you two gnaws at your heart. You wonder how lonely he must be with avoiding everyone, keeping himself a secret to the world around him. And if there’s one thing you know rather well, it’s being lonely even while surrounded by a loud public.

 “Keith… I’m not trying to ditch you for other people.” You reach out and rest your hand on his leg. He looks down at your hand and then up at you. Something you can’t quite read lingers in his eyes. 

 “Remember how I was saying last night that I have things that are expected of me? This is one of those things. And I can’t risk looking like I’m not your average prince. Especially not when I’m next in line.” You tell him. 

 “You’re nothing close to _average_ Prince Lance.” There he goes again with using your title in such a harsh tone. 

 “But the people back home can’t know that.” You sigh. “Otherwise they’ll send me away.” He glances over at you with that, frowning softly as he considers your words.

 “Then perhaps I should let you get back to your friends?”

 “They’ll be here _all_ weekend and I only get to see you at night.” You tell him. 

 “So?”

 “So, I want to spend some of my night with you. I honestly _really_ like being with you.” You tell him. Keith jolts at your words and then quickly stands up. He walks closer to the pond instead. It leaves you wondering if you said something wrong. 

 “Keith?” You look at him.

 “Have you figured out how to draw your Quintessence from your throat?” He asks you brusquely. You frown and walk over to him.

 “Keith, if I said something wrong or something that hurt you, you have to tell me.” You touch his shoulder. He pulls away from your touch. 

 “I’m fine. Have you figured out how to draw your Quintessence from its proper place?” He leaves no room for discussion on this topic. 

 “Keith, I’m serious.”

 “As am I.” He finally looks at you, humor having drained away from his face. You’ll have to pester him about it later you suppose. 

 “No, I haven’t.” You sigh and answer his question.

 “Let’s work on that then.” He says, looking back out at the pond. “This is a good place to help you out as any.” 

 “Because of the water, right?” You look out at the pond too.

 “Right, but there’s more to it than that.” He tells you. 

 “Really?”

 “You’ll see when you do it right.” He steps behind you and nudges you closer to the water’s edge.

 “Are you sure?” 

 “Positive.” He leans in to murmur in your ear. “Center yourself.” He reminds you. And okay, this _really_ isn’t fair. This is the literal scene from your shower the other night. Keith hums and clicks his tongue as he leans back. 

 “Center yourself.” He tells you again, coming around to stand beside you. 

 “I’m trying!” You hiss. He raises an eyebrow at your outburst but makes no comment. You close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Once centered you open your eyes and look at him. 

 “Not bad, you’re already getting quicker.” He tells you, the corner of his lip raising up just slightly. 

 “So, I’m centered. Now what?” You ask. 

 “I want you to pull your Quintessence from your throat. Let it skim across the water in front of you and tell me what you feel.” He says.

 “I don’t know how to pull it from my throat.” You huff, re-centering yourself before he can tell you to do so. 

 “It’s the same as pulling from your solar plexus, just from your throat instead.”

 “Really helpful. Ten out of ten.” You roll your eyes. He shrugs in response. 

 “I really don’t know how else to explain it.”

 “Well haven’t you ever drawn from the wrong place?” 

 “No.” He raises an eyebrow. 

 “Okay Mister _Perfect_. Cut me some slack then.” You center back up and try to pull your Quintessence. It washes out of you the way it usually does, but Keith clicks his tongue.

 “Wrong place.” He tells you as you pull it back into your body. You mock him under your breath and try again. And again. _And again._

 “That’s still your solar.” He tells you again as he looks over his claws. 

 “I’d like to see you do better!” You snap. Keith locks eyes with you and in a second you feel the heat of his Quintessence brush past your left as it sweeps out, and then your right as he draws it back in. 

 “Show off.” You grumble. 

 “I’ve had over a thousand years to practice.” He tells you. 

 “Wait, wait, wait. A _thousand_ years?”

 “I told you I was old Lance.”

 “Yeah, I didn’t realize _that_ old. No wonder you said you were ancient.” You whistle lowly and run your hand through your hair. 

 “Center yourself and try again.” Keith tells you. 

 “Wait, you can’t just drop a bomb like this on me and expect me to recover immediately.” 

 “That’s something you’ll need to get used to.” 

 “Okay, fine, later. But at least give me this now.” You clasp your hands together. He rolls his eyes and waves for you to get it out of your system. 

 “When you’re ready to go again, I have an idea.” He tells you. You take another breath and then nod. 

 “Alright, I’m ready.”

 “So you’re gonna step into the pond --”

 “No. No way.” You cut him off.

 “What’s the problem now?”

 “Uh, it’s cold out? And getting wet will make me _colder_ and then sick?” 

 “It’s not _that_ cold out.” Keith shakes his head. 

 “Maybe not to Gargoyles who live here, but for me? I’m used to the tropics! It’s getting cold. Look, I have goosebumps!” You point to your exposed arms. Keith frowns at them.

 “I don’t really register temperature like I used to.”

 “Like you _used_ to?”

 “Here.” Keith ignores your comment and steps over to you. He encircles you in his wingspan, blocking out the world around you. Moments later you’re aware of his Quintessence heating up the space between you both. 

 “Gods at mid, you’re so _lucky_ to be able to do this so easily.” You rub your arms as the warmth seeps into your skin. 

 “You’ll never get better if you don’t try. Give it another go.” He encourages you. You nod and try pulling again, but it feels like ice stabbing you through your ribs.

 “Wrong place.” Keith murmurs.

 “I felt it.” You look up at him. “I felt it right here.” You point to your solar plexus and smile widely up at him. 

 “At least you’re more aware of it now.” 

 “But nothing’s different.” You tell him. He considers this for a moment and then shakes his head.

 “You’re warm now.” He points out.

 “I… I am.” You widen your eyes as a thought hits you. “Can you turn up the heat?” You ask him. He nods and you feel the space between you get significantly warmer. You can feel the sweat start to form on your brow.

 “Too hot?” He asks.

 “No, perfect.” You tell him. You try to draw your Quintessence again. This time you’re acutely aware of each little pocket in your body. You poke at each on your way up until you find your throat. 

       It’s a refreshing cool glass of water on a hot summer day back home. It pours down your throat as you touch it, cooling you off quickly. You focus on trying to draw it out though. It slides up your throat and pools in your mouth, curling around your tongue and being held back by your teeth. You open your eyes widely and look up at Keith.

 “You got it.” He smiles. You open your mouth to join in the celebration but instead of words, Quintessence spills out. It pours out and you watch with an abject horror as it spatters over Keith’s chest. 

       You cover your face in mortification. Keith however barks out a loud laugh. He unwraps his wings from around you, though you think it’s more because he’s buckling over with laughter.

 “Rude.” You gurgle out past another mouthful of Quintessence. When he stands back up you get to watch the bright blue stain on his skin slowly fade off his body. 

 “Well you definitely got it.” He tells you. “And now you know where to pull from.” You tilt your head down and open your mouth, another gush of bright blue Quintessence falling to the ground. You whine softly, it feels more like your drooling heavily. Keith rubs small circles into your back. 

 “Let it run its course. It’s the first time you’ve pulled from the right place so it’s more than what you’d expect.” He tells you.

 “That was disgusting.” Your stomach flips when it feels like spittle is flying everywhere. 

 “Do it again.” Keith encourages. 

 “Nuh-uh.” You shake your head, wiping at your chin and frowning when you feel it’s dry.

 “So then you’re giving up?” He asks. 

 “I didn’t say that!”

 “Sounded like it.” He shrugs. 

 “I ain’t no quitter!”

 “Prove it.” Keith challenges you. So you pull hard at the Quintessence in your throat. Instantly, it feels different and off. You hold your hand over your mouth this time and try to will everything back down. 

 “Alright, no, we’re actually taking a break then.” He says upon your reaction. 

 “I’ll be fine.” You tell him once your stomach has settled back down. 

 “How about we don’t mess with you further? Give yourself a break.” He guides you back over to the bench and urges you to sit. You notice some of the floating yellow orbs follow you both. As they hover around Keith something unexpected happens to them.

        Their yellow light turns a brilliant red. Keith catches on to what you’re looking at and he cups his hands to gather more of the little orbs. When he holds them out to you their light shifts to purple. A few flutters off his fingers and hover by you, turning blue. You hold your hand out for them to land in as well. 

 “They react to nearby Quintessence,” He tells you. “It’s why I figured it’d be a good place to practice for you. It’d let you visually see the area you’re filling with your Quintessence.” Keith watches them fly back and forth between you two. 

 “They seem to like you.” You chuckle as you notice most of them have swarmed around Keith.

 “Like you said earlier, it’s cold out. Come summer time they’ll be all over you I promise.” He holds his arm out and slowly twists it, looking at all the little creatures that cling to him. 

        At the mention of summer though, your heart sinks into the pit of your stomach. Shiro and Allura should be happily married by then for a few months. Knowing her though, she will stay with Shiro to rule by his side as the Queen. Which means, you can’t return to Altea. Which _also_ means that you will be returning home come summer time. It’s a feeling that has you… conflicted to say the least.

 “Are you okay?” Keith asks you, snapping you out of your reviere.

 “I’m thinking about the future.” You shake your head. 

 “Do you want to talk about it?” He tilts his head. You look over at him, chewing your cheek. _Would it be selfish to ask him to come home with you when you leave?_ Probably. 

 “No.” You say instead of asking. This place is his home and you can’t ask him to leave the only place he’s known for, apparently, over a thousand years. When the time comes he will surely forget about you. 

        And _that_ thought stings something fierce in your heart. How long will he remember you for, if at all? If you never tell him about your departure, would he wonder what happened to you? Are you simply something to help keep him entertained, to break his thousand year old boredom? You look down at your hands, at the small blue orbs that dance in your palms, and twist your tongue around in your mouth. Keith’s wing nudges your knee, making you look back up at him in question.

 “It looked like you were spiraling.”

 “I’m fine.” You lie. He narrows his eyes at you in disbelief. 

 “Tell me about what winter is like at your home.” He says to your surprise. You thought for sure he would call your bluff. 

 “Uh… well.” You flounder for a moment while you think of what to tell him. He patiently waits for you though, eyes flicking from you to the orbs floating around you. 

 “Well, it’s _definitely_ not this cold.” You throw your arms out. “We have warm winters I guess you could say and it’s the dry season. We’re very tropical though.”

 “Tell me more.” He leans forward slightly.

 “Well, summers are hot _and_ usually humid. And our rainy season? Ugh it’s too much.” You chuckle. Keith nods as he listens to you, his eyes falling shut. You wonder if he’s trying to imagine what it’d be like. 

 “We can get hurricanes too, they kinda would scare me a bit when I was really little though.”

 “Hurricanes?” His eyebrows lower but he doesn’t open his eyes. 

 “It’s super windy and there’s just so much rain. If they’re strong enough they can pull trees out of the ground or snap them in half. And that’s not to mention what it’s doing with the ocean either.”

 “The ocean?” He tilts his head.

 “Yeah, hurricanes will make the waves super tall and it will swallow the port whole.” You tell him. 

 “What happens to the boats in port?” Keith opens his eyes.

 “Well, they know not to be in port when there’s a storm coming.” You laugh. “But those who forget lose their boats.”

 “It’s hard to imagine.” Keith says, looking up at the sky. 

 “Really?” Now it’s your turn to lean forward. 

 “We’re not even at peak winter weather yet.” He tells you. “It gets so much colder.” He looks at you.

 “How much colder?” You ask nervously.

 “You know how you have all that rain?”

 “Yeah.”

 “We have snow and ice.” He smirks. You immediately whine and feel a shiver run through you. 

 “You’re kidding right?”

 “Not in the slightest.”

 “I’ve never _seen_ snow! And I already know I’m going to _hate_ it.” 

 “It’s beautiful though. As cold as it is, waking up to see it blanketing the gardens and castle? Seeing the sunlight sparkle off the snow? It’s amazing.” He looks back up at the sky. “Even now, when I wake up covered in it, I love it.” He closes his eyes and smiles softly. It’s such a tender look on his face, so genuine, so _human_. 

        Before you even realize it, your hand is moving. Your fingertips glide over his jaw and cup his cheek. He opens his eyes and looks back at you. The curious gleam is shining back in them as he watches you. His skin still feels cold under your palm, nearly biting into you. But now that your hand is here, you aren’t sure what to do, or what you had _planned_ on doing.

 “Lance?” He whispers. You swallow thickly, voice getting trapped in your throat. You try to open your mouth to say something, _anything._ His hand comes up and touches yours. 

        There’s a moment there trapped in between the seconds that you’ll never get back. A moment in which he presses your hand firmer into his cheek as he leans into it. A moment in which you think he’s trying to commit this feeling to memory. A moment that even if he were to forget your name or face, he would not forget the boy who held him like this. 

        And that moment seems to stretch on as you feel just as drawn to him. _You_ will remember this moment. You will remember the glowing red orbs that surround him like a halo. You will remember the chill against your skin from the cool breeze coming off the pond, carrying the soft chirps of the frogs. You will remember the way his eyes lock onto yours, and how for a second they glance lower, your heart lodging itself into the roof of your mouth. And you will remember that _one_ of you leaned in, but not who.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter update for the lack of updates this month! lol  
> and also a celebratory one since we did get the house  
> now all we need is wifi ;w; 
> 
> and if yall ever want to scream at me on tumblr feel free to look me up on demon-sushi.tumblr


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